Ship Wave
by Pacificson360
Summary: In this alternative universe (AU) disaster adventure fanfic. A luxury liner, the MS Poseidon, set sails on a New Year's Eve cruise when a bizarre disaster strikes at sea and washed the ship with it. A group of survivors are desperately trying to find a way out off the sinking ship before it's too late. PS Contains anthropomorphic characters. Not a Zootopia fanfic I no own Poseidon.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome Aboard

**Notice: This fanfic is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, organizations, or events are unrelated. In addition, this fanfic contains anthropomorphic characters, adult language, and intense description of prolonged disaster and peril. All characters' names are purely coincidental. Do not read this aloud to underage children and is intended for mature audiences or readers. I'm not responsible for your reactions while reading this fanfic. If you're planning on going on a cruise? Please, do not read this before going!**

Chapter 1: Welcome Aboard

December 28th, 2020. It's a sunny day in Long Beach, California. A great day to go out to the beach and to enjoy the warm winter sun. The New Year's Eve is coming up soon and tourist are spending the holidays on what Long Beach's sites of interest offers. A minivan taxi left from LAX Airport had just passed every of Long Beach's personal landmarks. It's driving its way through the freeway road to the Long Beach Cruise Terminal where a cruise ship is waiting for them. As it drives through, the taxi driver informs his four passengers—all four wearing Hawaiian shirts of different colors and wearing shorts. "We're almost there Mr. and Mrs. Rycroft. The cruise terminal is just ahead."

"Great." Said the deep voice behind the taxi driver. The tiger-man in a red Hawaiian shirt looks upon his proud family. "Everyone's feeling excited? Carolyn?" Next to his seat a tiger-woman in a pink Hawaiian shirt, holds her husband's hand.

"Yes, Sylvester, we're all excited." She smiles and kisses her husband's cheek.

Sylvester and Carolyn look further behind and see their two young children. One tiger-boy in a green Hawaiian shirt and jet-black messy hair all over his head, he's looking through the window of the early afternoon view. Next to him, a tiger-girl with long dark brown hair done with a ponytail and wearing a cyan shirt, she's holding her cellphone, tapping with her thumbs.

"Jett? Stephanie? How you kids feeling?" Sylvester Rycroft said. The two siblings turned their heads up to their parents and replied.

"Just fine, Dad." 17-year-old Stephanie said with a smile.

"Jett?" Rycroft turns to his 18-year-old son.

His tired eyes stares at his father, he yawns before replying. "Well, after a long flight from Miami and dealing with so many turbulence… I think this is gonna be worth it." He slightly grinned. He knew this was going to be a great vacation for his family. His father laughed.

The yellow vehicle arrives the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, it was a large white dome structure that was visible from a distance. While getting closer, two ships appeared into view. Stephanie turns her left and sees through her brother's left side window and take a glimpse on one of the ships in port. "Uh, Dad? Is that our ship we're going?" Stephanie said, she was kind of puzzled. "It looks kinda old fashioned."

"Hm, that ship doesn't look nothing like the one in the brochure." Carolyn said while looking through the window.

"What do you mean?" Rycroft looks at it. This ship has a black hull. She had an impressive forward superstructure all in white with many curves. And on top of it, she has three funnels, painted in black and red. Rycroft had seen this ship before in pictures while planning their vacation. He quickly realized that's not their ship. "That's not the _Poseidon._ "

"That's the _Queen Mary,_ Mr. Rycroft." The human taxi driver said. "She's only now a floating hotel since 1971. She's now a common sight of Long Beach." He said, based on his knowledge. "Don't worry, your ship is right in front of us."

Rycroft turns back to his front view and behind the giant white dome terminal, there's a large ship bigger than the _Queen Mary._ She looked like a spaceship with those two funnels in a shape of a 747's vertical tail fin. The giant white dome building was in the way, so they didn't get a good glimpse of the ship. They have arrived at the terminal entrance, and unloaded their luggage from the taxi. Rycroft paid the fair and the family entered inside the terminal to check in.

"Ugh, we're right back from the beginning in Miami Airport." Stephanie said as she looks inside the terminal. "A huge crowd of long lines and other lazy annoying security checks." And complained.

"We're almost there, Steph." Jett said and yawns.

Their cruise liner, technically an ocean liner, that the Rycrofts are boarding is the MS _Poseidon_ , a 165,000-gross-ton luxury ocean liner of the prestigious shipping company; Royal Trident Lines. She's now preparing her 16-night cruise to the beautiful Aloha State. _Poseidon_ was used to sail transatlantic crossings between New York and Southampton in the North Atlantic, but she was replaced by her twin sister ship the MS _Triton_. So _Poseidon_ was placed to sail transpacific crossings between Yokohama and San Francisco or Seattle in the summers and cruises in the winter such as: Mexican Riviera, South America, Asia, Australia and other special around the world cruises.

Onboard the Hotel Queen Mary, a young Hispanic human is checking out before checking in to the other ship docked in port. Looking smartly dressed in an orange button shirt and khakis.

"Thank you for staying on board the _Queen Mary,_ Mr. Marrero. And have a nice day." Said the dog-woman behind the reception desk.

"Thank you." Replied the Hispanic human. He picked up his suitcase and exited from the gangway. No need for any use of transportation, just walking will be enough to get there. While on his way, the 27-year-old traveler hears his phone ringing, he picks it up from his pocket, looks at the image of who is calling and he smiles.

"Hey, Tiago, what's up?" He said in Spanish.

"Hey, Rico, how's it going? Are you already onboard?" It's his 16-year-old cousin from Puerto Rico.

"Yeah, I'm just about to board. What are you, curious?"

"Yeah, just curious to know."

"I wished you could've come, but sadly, you have to spend your New Year's Eve and Día de los Reyes with a broken leg." Rico said.

"That's okay, Rico. You can send us some pictures while online. I bet you find a nice girl while onboard." Tiago said.

"Oh, please." Rico blushes when he said that. Then he bumped into something, looses his foot and falls. "Aargh!" The sound of luggage crashing into another luggage, Ricardo "Rico" Marrero was all over the floor.

"Ay coño..." He grunted.

"Are you alright, young man?" A dark tanned dog-man said and lend him a hand.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking while I was talking on the phone. Did I broke anything?" He said in English as he stands up.

"No, everything's fine." The shepherd dog-man said. "Just don't leave your cellphone behind." He points to the floor where a black rectangular and flat object with a half eaten apple logo in it.

"Oh, thanks. Sorry about that, sir." Rico said.

"It's all right."

The Puerto Rican takes his luggage and picks his phone and continues talking his cousin and enters the terminal.

"That guy is clumsier that I am, Dad." A very young voice said next to the older dog-man.

"Sasha, please, accident happens." Joshua Parkinson said to his 10-year-old son. "Come on, let's get going."

"Are we gonna see Mom in Hawaii?" Sasha said.

"Yes, she's on a business trip in Honolulu and our ship is gonna take us there." Parkinson smiles and ruffles his son's dark-brown hair between his two pointed ears. This makes Sasha's tail wags a lot. He's really excited.

Inside the terminal, there was a lot of people either human of different races or anthropomorphic of different species (beast-men being commonly referred). There was a huge mix of chattering everywhere around. The Rycrofts are waiting in line like the rest of everyone else in here.

"You got all of our passports and boarding passes, right, Sylvester?" Carolyn said to her husband.

"Yes, right here, Carolyn." Sylvester said and shows all four US passports of each tiger member.

"Very well, then." She said and relaxes, and adjust her sun hat.

"Jett, are you feeling well?" Stephanie asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." He then yawns wide open, showing his four sharp fangs. They took an early non-stop flight for five long hours and Jett is now completely "Jett lagged". Yes, pun intended.

"Don't worry, Jett, you'll get some sleep when we get onboard." Stephanie said. She's always so caring to her older brother.

"Can't wait…" Jett yawns again and stretches his black-striped arms.

After waiting in line and it's their turn to check in and hand over the boarding passes and passports at the reception desk. They gave away their luggages where they will soon find it in their cabins once the ship set sails.

Ahead from the Rycrofts, a group of three lions are walking through the long gangway, exiting from the dome terminal, they got a wide view of both sides of the gangway of the 1,250 ft long ship. "So, this is the _Poseidon_? What a ship." Said the young and handsome Russell Westwood, but everyone calls him Red by his impressive red mane which is near developed, but still had his spiky hair he had since a teenager. He's traveling along with his girlfriend, Gwen Kershaw, and her father Lionel Kershaw.

"This is only the beginning of our trip, Red." Gwen said and holds her hand with Red's. "Come on, Dad, don't get behind." She said to her father.

"Right behind you, darling." He replied to his daughter, he's quite mild mannered. He had a full grown brown mane than Russell's and he's more taller as an adult is. Like most passengers who are boarding, they are wearing Hawaiian shirts. He's wearing the biggest he could find at the store. Not that he's fat, he's bulky and strong as a former fireman.

Back in the midst of the crowd of the up coming 2,700 passengers in the terminal. A group of college students from Newport, Rhode Island arrived with their luggages. This isn't some kind of trip planned by the academy program, but the students themselves. Spencer Stevens proposed his fellow classmates or roommates to spend the New Year's Eve in warm weather. The bear-man's father has relations with the cruise line to afford a lower stateroom category.

"I don't think this wasn't what we had in mind, Spencer." Said the human girl, Christine McCarty.

"I thought Dad booked us into a conjoined balcony cabin." Said Spencer after reading the boarding pass. "He booked us into an inside cabin."

"I guess your father didn't want you, nor us, to overspend the trip." Said the beagle dog-girl, Pricilla Forrest.

"What's a 'inside cabin'?" Said the lynx-man, Royce Wakeman.

"They're cabins without a window, Royce." Said the young human, Isaac Coates.

"Are you saying that there's no view out the open?" Said the cheetah-girl, Megan Swift. "Ugh, no fair!"

"Sorry, guys, that's all I can do." Said the bear-man. "Let's get onboard."

"Pricilla, where is your cousin?" Megan asked.

"Right here!" Younger than the rest of them, 16-year-old Clover Forrest, a beagle dog-girl, carries her own suitcase with a glaring look at her close relative. "I can't believe you leaved me alone with the cab driver."

"Sorry, cuz, but we have to check in." Pricilla claimed her excuse. Clover growled under her breath.

Rico Marrero just checked-in and climbed the automatic stairs and made it to the exit gangway that leads to the ship, and ignores or didn't noticed the photographer nor the women dressed in native traditional clothing, holding colorful flower necklaces for the passengers. "Te hablo después, ya estoy abordando." Rico hung up the phone and continue on, until he got another call.

"Hey, sir! Don't you want a…" The photographer saw the Puerto Rican moving, he's still holding the phone and speaking Spanish, and heads directly to the ship. Not sure if he was in a mood but he let him go, and is not mandatory though. The beautiful Hawaiian girls gave the Rycrofts Hawaiian necklace leis flowers on their necks. The first taste that they're already in Hawaii. The photographer saw the four tigers and they stepped behind the small railing with a life ring with the capital letters, POSEIDON, around the white circle and the center shows the cruise line's signature trident logo. "Smile to the camera!" A flash followed. The tiger family together smiles for their first day of the cruise photo. They will get the photos at the ship's gallery or photo shop. Then came the two dog shepherds, Joshua and Sasha next.

"Come here, boy. Smile to the camera!" Joshua said and picks Sasha up, the short-length railing was in Saha's way, he's kind of short than his age really is. Joshua is still strong enough to lift his son. After the flash, the two walk through the gangway. Sasha gets a sight of the huge ocean liner. Her hull painted in a dark gray color scheme while the rest of her upper superstructure is white. Her two tall funnels are painted plainly in black and white, each one shares the same blue trident logo.

"This ship is huge!" Cried Sasha.

"You haven't seen enough, yet." His father said.

When they reached the entrance of deck 3, a well dressed bellboy stands by and welcomes them. "Welcome aboard the _Poseidon."_ The man said.

The first thing that passengers see when boarding is the ship's art décor-style, ten-story-high atrium, it's an incredible sight. Shining down the tall place is an inside dome with LED lights simulating the sky with clouds. Elegant twin staircases coming down to the first floor, but the most eye-catching is a 30 foot tall statue of the ship's namesake, standing proudly and holding up his trident. On the aft side of the lobby, between the two glass elevators, there's an opening that leads to a long center line promenade which is two decks high with many amenities: tax-free shops, variety of restaurants and bars and more, it's a huge mall-like place. For a more lovely touch of welcoming, a string quartet band plays near by the statue.

"Let's find our cabin, Sasha." Said his father. "Then, we can have a tour around the ship."

"Okay!" Sasha cheerfully replied.

The Rycrofts took the glass elevator as it lifts upwards, the tiger family wows when they view the atrium from deck 2 to their respective floor, deck 10. Then, they walk through an endless hallway with doors on both sides.

"A big ship like this one you're gonna get lost by just one step." Sylvester said.

"Oh, that's ridiculous, Sylvester." Carolyn said.

Jett then yawned. "I would kill for a coffee right now."

"You could've slept during the flight." His father recommend.

"How?! There was a turbulence, a crying baby and they ran out of coffee!" Jett crankily said.

"Jett, calm down!" His mother said. "You'll get some sleep when we get to our stateroom."

"Here we are." Sylvester said and he inserts his keycard through the flat keyhole, following a beep and a little green light, the door opens and revealing a comfortable royal family suite stateroom with a king-size bed for two people and another room for two people with separated beds. The four tigers steps inside the lovely room of their sojourn.

"Well, I didn't see this coming." Stephanie said and drops her pink backpack. "You booked us a royal suite?"

Her father chuckles. "I told you I was going to surprised you all."

"Oh, look it that." Carolyn said and she picks a note from a basket filled with fruits and a sparkling champagne placed on a table. "Our travel agent sent us a gift-basket. That's so nice. Let's sent her an email."

"Well, that's great—where's the bed?" Jett said abruptly and goes through the door that leads to the other cabin, Stephanie follows him and Jett throws his gray backpack on the bed (confirming his sleeping territory), takes off his tennis shoes and leaps on the bed, resting flat on his back and begins to snore, Stephanie sighed of looking at his brother's complicated demeanor of sleeping.

"Mom, Dad." Stephanie called out. "Jett is asleep."

"Leave him be, Stephanie." Her father said.

"So, where are the suitcases?" Stephanie came back to the small living room.

"They haven't brought it, yet." Carolyn said.

"Everything all right in your cabin?" A steward said, he walked by and noticed the door opened and thought he should check, he's a red fox-man wearing his uniform.

"Yes, but our luggages isn't here." Carolyn said.

"No worries, I'm sure your luggages will be here soon." The fox-man said with a smile. "If there's anything you need? Please, don't hesitate to ask. I'm steward Kameron Foxley. And you all must be the Rycrofts, is a pleasure to meet you all."

"Nice to meet you, Foxley." Said Sylvester. "Everything's fine now we can handle from here."

"Alright, but let me let you know that the muster drill will be this afternoon. Have a great getaway." The fox-man said and leaves the room.

"Thank you." The husband and wife said in unison.

"Oh, wow! We got view over here!" Stephanie slides the glass door and takes a look at the balcony. The stateroom is facing the starboard side of the ship, and the temporal sight is the port terminal and the permanently docked _Queen Mary._

Two decks down on deck 8. A simple balcony stateroom's door opens, a wolf-man and a blonde-haired human walks in and place their backpacks in the beds and looks around their booked room. Is simply decorated in modern style along with the art décor.

"Nice." Said the gray wolf-man and takes off the Hawaiian flowers.

"Ryder, I ever thought you'd do all this trouble." Said the wolf-man's significant other.

"Don't worry about it, Kale, is already done. So enjoy our vacation." Said Ryder Wolfson and rests on the bed with his hands behind his head and relaxes.

"Oh, alright." Sighed Kale Summers and walks to the balcony, slides the door and… "Uh… Ryder?"

"Yeah?" He turns his head to his right.

"Remember when you said that we were gonna have a nice view out the ocean?"

"Uh-huh."

"There's a lifeboat in the way." He flatly stated.

"What?" Ryder stands up and walks to Kale at the balcony, and sees an orange boat blocking their view. There's not even a peak to see the ocean. "Ooh… No wonder the cabin was on a cheap price." Ryder realized.

Kale laughs. "Don't worry, we're not the only ones with a blocked view."

On the same deck, there's a row of orange lifeboats blocking every balcony cabin their way. Some passengers already knew that they have booked a cheaper stateroom with an obstructed view. While others, like Ryder, they didn't know that their cabin is obstructed. These lifeboats belongs to deck 7; the promenade deck. The boats are each supported by a pair of cranes, also known as davits. The davits extends from the side of the ship and lower the boat away when an unlikely event happens. The boats are placed 82ft above the waterline. The maritime law is by 49ft, but because _Poseidon_ is a purpose-built ocean liner, the naval architects convinced the maritime safety officials to give a high exception to protect from harmful weather conditions when the ship is at sea.

The cruise director, Joyce Blake, is expecting the up coming honeymoon season onboard the _Poseidon._ There will be 30 newly-weds couples onboard for their dream honeymoon cruise. The light tanned rabbit-woman is prepared for the challenge based on her previous experiences. Her job is serious, she takes care of scheduling entertainments, and the officer in charge of entertainment staff, some public announcements, and importantly: supervising safety drills for both passenger and crew. She walks to the lobby at the reception desk and picks the public announcement phone. It first follows a deep but softly 'Ding-Dong' so passengers and crew knows there's going to be a public announcement. Ms. Blake speaks, her sweet toned voice echoes around the ship.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys. Welcome the first day of the cruise aboard the Poseidon. This is your cruise director, Joyce Blake. In a matter of two hours the muster drill will be this afternoon, but before all that, enjoy the ship's buffet and the available bars. All pools are in maintenance and it won't be in use until tomorrow. And I will repeat: the muster drill will be this afternoon before departure. Thank you_." She hangs up. When she finished, she sees Sidney Jennings, an Afro-American steward, and walking along with him is an unfamiliar face.

"Ms. Blake! There you are!" He waves and shouts.

"Mr. Jennings, where have you been?"

"Good question." Jennings said. "Remember you were short on dancers?"

"Yes…?" She looks at the girl next to Jennings. "And let me guest, you got me one."

"Yeah, this is my friend, Lani Kawena." He introduced. "Lani, this is Joyce Blake, the cruise director."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Blake." The Hawaiian girl said.

Joyce looks at her and she's only caring a backpack. More like light travel. "So, you dance?" She said.

"Yes, I have taken hula lessons when I was a teenager back in Honolulu." Lani said.

"I see…" Joyce said.

"Ms. Blake, in private?" Sidney said.

"Of course." Lani leave the two alone and sits on a seat at the lobby.

"Why do you brought her here?" Joyce said.

"You said you were short on Hawaiian dancers, right? So, I knew a friend who had some lessons."

"And your other reason?" She raises an eyebrow.

Sidney sighed. "She just wants to go back to Honolulu, she couldn't afford a plane ticket. That's all."

"And you're doing this for a friend, right?" Sidney nods. "Oh, alright. Miss Kawena?" She calls.

"Yes?" She stands up from her seat.

"Come with me so we could make some arrangements. In other worlds, you're hired."

"Oh! Thank you!" Lani cried happily.

While passengers are searching their staterooms by walking these endless hallways. Two newly-weds couples who are among the 30 expecting honeymooners, found their respective cabin they have booked.

"Here we are, Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell, the Trident Suite." Said Foxley the steward. Leading the cat couple and opens the door. The two stepped in, their stateroom is actually a loft suite. The balcony is facing aft overlooking the back of the ship with a view of one of the ship's 5 pools. Their bedroom and bathroom is on the second level with a staircase. The first level occupies just the living room, dining table, and the small kitchen.

"How lovely." Said the gray furred cat-woman, Zoey Maxwell. "And me saying it was small."

"Don't underestimate the pictures to fool you." Said her husband, Killian Maxwell. "Thank you for helping, Mr. Foxley." The black-and-white cat-man thanked the fox-man.

"Is a pleasure. And now if you all excuse me, I'll let you both settle and enjoy your honeymoon." Foxley said and leave the newlyweds and closes the door.

An exciting scream from Zoey followed and runs to her husband and embraces him. Killian was expecting this from his wife. "Oh, Killian, I can't believe we're really here!" Zoey cried.

"Well, believe it. Because we're away from our in-laws and we're by ourselves with no interruptions, baby!" Killian said.

Hawaii is one of the most popular destinations for honeymoon seekers. The islands are known for its white sand beaches and its traditional luau celebrations. Its active volcanoes. Their friendly native people. Its origin of surfing and its famous large waves. And what was once known as a kingdom of monarchy which was took away by the US as what had become known today as the State of Hawaii.

Up on the bridge on deck 12, there's very little to do until the drill and departure. Some of the officers are checking the weather forecast before crossing the ocean. The polar bear officer, the raccoon officer and the husky dog-man officer are discussing the ship's course.

"There's nothing to worry about," said the polar bear, First Officer Snowdon. "We'll have a clear, calmed seas this crossing."

"Let's just hope," said Second Officer Greyson, the raccoon-man, "'cause there's a storm in the South Pacific."

"Humph, like its going to reach us. Greyson, just focus on our planned course in the Mid-Pacific." Said the black-and-white husky, Chief Officer Nadir.

"Captain on the bridge!" Third Officer Holmes said when an albatross bird-man came to the bridge. The crew member with the highest rank walks by and greets his men. All in uniform.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Said Captain Sterling Whiteford, with a British accent. He's holding a cup of tea with small plate under it.

"Good afternoon, Captain." Said a few officers near him.

"Now then, in about an hour, we're going to start the muster drill for our new passengers before we can start our departure at 4:30 PM. I want all of you be prepared without a hitch."

"Yes, sir." Second Officer Grayson said.

"Aye, sir." First officer Snowdon said.

"So, how's the weather in the Pacific?" Captain said.

"It's clear and calm for our course, sir." Chief Officer Nadir said.

"Good…" Captain Whiteford gladly said.

The British skipper, who had relieved the previous captain of _Poseidon._ Whiteford used to command _Poseidon's_ twin sister ship _Triton_ a few months back. Royal Trident Lines' officials made some adjustments after introducing a new cruise ship, the _Aphrodite,_ which they wanted _Poseidon's_ previous captain and to be replaced by Captain Whiteford. Of course he's familiar with the _Poseidon_ since her workings are the same as her sister ship. And also familiar with some of the crew like Oscar Snowdon (the polar bear) and Ryan Greyson (the raccoon) from working with them on different ships under the Royal Trident Lines' service. As far as he knows they got a quite of a rivalry which Chief Officer Nadir agreed they've known each other for a long time since maritime academy.

 _Poseidon,_ named after the god of the seas of Greek mythology, she was launched in 2014. She and her sister ship share the title of the largest ocean liners in the world. With the finest technologies available, she's the safest ship up to date and built to stand the roughest weather conditions of the world's oceans. She's equipped with four state-of-the-art azimuth thrusters under her stern. The two at the front are fixed and only provide propulsion while the other two at the back can rotate three-hundred-and-sixty degrees and helps to maneuver the ship. Four needed stabilizers; are fins that extends from the hull below the waterline to keep the ship from rolling side to side. Four hollowed holes behind the bulbous bow are the bow thrusters, inside on each hollowed cylinders are one propeller pod. With the help with the aft propellers and the bow thrusters, the ship can perform a good three-hundred-and-sixty degrees spin on either port or starboard. She's powered by four diesel engines, with two additional gas turbines used when extra power is needed; this give the ship to produce power and as well as powering the ship's hotel services. With all that power, _Poseidon_ can cruise with a maximum speed of 33-knots, but since she's on a pleasure voyage her speed is much relaxed with her normal service speed of 26-knots.

"And one more thing, Mr. Nadir." Captain Whiteford said to Chief Officer. "Just because we're only sailing to Hawaii, we're also be docking in Ensenada as our last call."

"Aye-aye, sir." Chief Officer Nadir replied.

 _Poseidon_ is flying the British flag, a foreigner ship for the United States, the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 does not allow a foreign-flagged ship to transport between U.S. ports. To satisfy the law they must visit a foreigner port, for this case, they will be visiting Ensenada, Mexico – the last port of call of the 16-night itinerary before coming back to Long Beach. If not following the law, the fine is $300 USD per passenger. Her port of registry is Hamilton, however, she used to be registered for Southampton. The company changed it so they can provide and host weddings onboard. But this voyage there are no weddings events being held, but there might be some surprising marriage proposals while onboard.

The Kershaws and Westwood are settling in their Master Suite stateroom on deck 12, facing the port side. Since they're three of them, Lionel is sleeping the master room and Gwen and Russell together in the other part of the room.

"Everything fine in your room, Dad?" Gwen said to her father.

"Yes, just fine, only bigger." The bed he's sleeping is bigger than where Gwen and Red are sleeping. "How's your bedroom?"

"Same as this one, but smaller." The lioness said. "Hey, I really appreciate this trip for us, I doubted at first that you'll invite Red over, but thank you."

"Well, he's your boyfriend, after all. I'd feel bad if I didn't invite him over."

"Well, I'm glad you did, 'cause this trip is going to be very special for us." Gwen smiled.

"Hey, Gwen, can you help me over here?" Red called out.

"Coming!" She replied. The young lioness walks up to the following door of the Master Suite to where Red is. He puts away his large dark-green suitcase under the bed. Just as he sees Gwen entering in. "What is it, Red?" When they started dating, Gwen wasn't used to calling him as Red and formally called him by his first name. However, time went by and felt comfortable with it.

"You know, I'm pretty surprised when you told me we're going on this cruise after..." Red closes the door quietly for privacy. "...after I proposed you." And whispered.

"I wasn't expecting this too, you know." Gwen said. "Dad, was planning this trip without telling me."

"Oh, it wasn't you then." Red said. "So, you said you'll do the talking, right?"

"Uh-huh, so, uh, did you say this to your parents?"

"They're taking it excitedly." Red chuckles. "Mom and Dad thought we escalated quickly when I told them I'm going on a cruise with you without the wedding and skipping to the honeymoon!" The two engaged couples laughs.

Several decks down on deck 9, Sasha Parkinson explores the penthouse suite stateroom. A cabin suite for four people. These cabins are located between deck 9, and 10. Soon Mrs Parkinson will join up with her husband and son for the cruise until the ship docks in Hilo. The little dark-tanned dog-boy couldn't stop staring the view from the balcony, facing port side, and hoping to see their ship leaving port. "When we will be leaving, Dad?" He turn his head to his father who is settling their belongings in the drawers.

"Soon, Sasha. Soon." Said his father as he closes one drawer. "But first, we must wait for the muster station before we can do anything."

"Why we have to do that first?"

"Is mandatory, son. Let's just stay here for now, okay?"

"Fine." He groaned and lies on the couch. So much for excitement while boarding the ship, and now his father changes their plans. He sometimes doesn't get his father's ways of organizing the activities than his mother does. Sasha fetches his iPod player from his pocket, puts the earbuds on and hears his favorite pop music. While listening, he looks at the coffee table in front of him and sees a folded up card with the trident logo, picks it up and unfolds it. The card shows a silhouetted shape of the ship with blue-and-white stripes, and the deck plans. The liner has 14 passenger decks accessible. Curious, he wonder if he can find their stateroom they are in. While looking, his father picks his cellphone and answers... Is his wife.

"Claire, how you doing?… Yes, we just boarded and Sasha is really excited… What's wrong?..." A long explanation from his wife followed, one solid detail was enough to surprise a grown married man. "W-what!" He cried but abruptly covers his mouth and dark-brown muzzle. He looks at Sasha to his right, listening music and reading the ship's map. "Really?... That's wonderful!... Should I… No?... Okay… Uh-huh… well… I love you too and Happy New Year..." He hangs up.

Sasha noticed his father's tail waging like crazy. Why he's excited about? This is the first time he sees his father's tail moving like that. Is he excited about the cruise? How should he know?

The lower decks of the international crew works tirelessly to keep the ship running at tip-top. After the arrangement, Jennings takes the new dancer member to her room where she will stay in, she'll be sharing with other dancers.

"Here we go, Lani. This is where you're staying." Sidney said.

"Thank you so much, Sid. I don't know what I will do without you." Lani smiles.

"No problem. Maybe next time, don't overdo your money while traveling."

"Don't worry, I learned my lesson."

"Did you called your family that you're on your way?"

"Yes, I even told them I'm traveling for work." She stated.

"Alright, just to be sure. Uh, the girls will show you the ropes. I'm sure you'll do fine." He gestures the three occupants in the small cabin for four.

"Thanks again!" Lani waves to Sidney as he leaves.

The public announcement jingles and a male voice with a British accent speaks to the passengers. " _Attention all passengers. This is Officer Kennedy speaking. Please listen carefully for the following instructions. It's important to listen this entire announcement. At the end of this announcement. You will hear the general alarm which is seven short blast and followed by one long blast and then you will proceed to your assembly stations. Your assembly station number can be found in your stateroom keycard. It is also located on your lifejacket and the safety information card behind your stateroom door. Please bring your stateroom keycard with you. The assembly stations are on the promenade deck on deck seven. Signs will guide you to the assembly stations, in addition, crew members acting as stairway guides are located in all staircases just to help direct you. Do not use the elevators. During a real emergency, the elevators may not be in service. If you require special assistance to your assembly station? Please tell either a stairway guide at the stairway landing or a member of our assistance team, and they will help you. Lifejackets are not required to be worn at this drill. Smoking, eating, drinking, using cellphones or other electronic and entertainment devices is prohibited during the drill. Please, do not bring beverages or food or any kind to your assembly station. Thank you for your attention and cooperation and please stand by for the ship's emergency general alarm_."

 _BEEP!_

 _BEEP!_

 _BEEP!_

 _BEEP!_

 _BEEP!_

 _BEEP!_

 _BEEP!_

 _BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!_

"Stephanie, can you wake up Jett?" Her father gave her a favor.

"Okay." Stephanie walks to where her brother is taking a nap. "Jett, wake up!" Stephanie cried.

"Not now... five more minutes." He mumbles. She sighs, she grabs his tail and gave him a pull, he wakes up with pain. "Yow!"

"Wake up! Nap time's over!"

"What is wrong with you?" Jett in pain and rubs his behind.

"Let's go, they want us on deck." She said. The four tigers left their stateroom.

On deck 4, the college students just left from their cabin to their assembly station. They don't seem to be pleased about it after a stewardess insist them with care to assist the drill immediately. "Why is this mandatory?" Said Priscilla.

"If we don't assist it, they would kick us out." Said Clover.

"Why that sassy stewardess was threatening us?" Said Royce.

"She wasn't threatening us." Said Clover. "She was just informing us."

"Pretty much the same, though, it would be shameful and wasteful if they kicks us out." Said Megan Swift.

"Same here…" Said Christine. "We could've been in real trouble."

"Safety first and vacation second." Said Spencer.

"Whatever, we're only doing this once, and then we're back at our vacation!" Said Isaac.

In less than thirty minutes, passengers gathered the promenade deck to their assembly stations on deck 7. A few awkwardly passengers worn a lifejacket, which wasn't necessary for this drill. It was kind of crowded for the guest, but they must wait for instructions from the crew. Joyce Blake the cruise director was asked by a first-timer passenger about a possible man overboard volunteers. There's no such things as stupid questions, though. But Joyce simply replied with a corrective answer.

Just finally, Captain Whiteford's voice echoes throughout the ship. He gave a short speech to his new passengers and a short instruction of how to wear a lifejacket. And then after a little while, the muster drill is over and now the passengers are now free to start their vacation!

Is 4:20 PM. They got ten minutes for departure. Captain Whiteford and his fellow officers are preparing to set sail. Third Officer Moira Holmes, the only female officer on the bridge, just checked the ship's manifest.

"All passengers aboard, sir." She said to the skipper. There are 3,800 passengers and crew onboard.

"Captain, we're cleared for departure." Sixth Officer Kennedy said.

"Yeah? Well, let's get this lady going." He picks up his walkie-talkie and speaks from his beak. "Mooring lines released?"

"Mooring lines released, Captain." Said from the people on the pier. Releasing the mooring lines from the bollards. The moorings retrieves back to the ship through small hatches, like spaghetti being inhaled back through the nose.

The ship's horn blares out as her final call. All ashore is going ashore. Passengers of vast diversities aligned on the railings on the opened decks to see one last sight of Port of Long Beach. _Poseidon_ parts away from the pier gently without any help of tugboats. The four powerful propeller pods start to push the mighty giantess forward ahead as her sharp dark-gray bow moves directly south-westwards. For ship enthusiasts, this is an epic sight. The modern-day _Poseidon_ and the historic liner from the golden age _Queen Mary_ are met at last. Now is time to part ways.

"Mr. Snowdon, see any trucks?" Captain Whiteford asked.

"Huh, not this morning, sir." The polar bear-man replied.

"I like that." The avian albatross nodded gladly. "Great day to sail, huh?"

"Yes, sir." Officer Snowdon agreed. The sun sets in on the pacific's horizon as the ship follows the golden disc. Passengers will have their unforgettable 16-night Hawaiian leisure cruise.


	2. Chapter 2: Shipboard Encounters

Chapter 2: Shipboard Encounters

It's the second day; December 29th, 2020. A fresh sea day aboard the _Poseidon._ Cruising the mighty Pacific Ocean on her way to her first port of call: Hilo, Hawaii; the largest island of the state. She won't arrive there until the sixth day of her journey at 10:00 AM. Then stopping other islands such as Kahului, Maui; Honolulu, Oahu (the state's capital); Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; and Nawiliwili, Kauai. Then crossing north-eastwards to Ensenada, Mexico to satisfy the U.S. law since she's flying the British flag.

The breeze is chilling and breezy. For early risers, it's a good morning for jogging on deck seven; the promenade deck. Two tigers in their sport clothes, stretching their limbs for warm up. It's been quite a while for Jett to spend some time with his father, and he thought this is a good way to start. Only because his father came back home from an early retirement from the Navy last Christmas.

"Still feeling jet lagged, huh, Jett?" Said Sylvester. No intentions.

"No, I'm good." He twist his torso left and right. Not even bothered.

"So… I haven't asked…" Sylvester started.

"What's up?"

"Your mother told me you've retired from your career, is that true?"

"Yeah," Jett sighed, "it's over."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, son." He said. "Did you have a hard time?"

"Yes, I've had a tough semester. I hardly spoke with anyone in school. Everyone practically hates me. Well, not everyone though. Just… Everything changed when I came back to Miami." He takes some breath and continues. "Listen Dad, I… When you came back home. I felt kind of better to see you again and I wanted to spend time with you on this trip. It's really been a long time, Dad." Jett calmly said. His honest words.

Sylvester's surprised to hear this from his own son. He couldn't figure out what to say on his own words, but… instead, he patted his son's upper back and smiles. "Hey, cheer up. A nice jog would do well for you."

"Alright." Jett replied. The two started to jog together through the wooden covered deck and lifeboats overhead. Everywhere they go, there's always a view of the blue horizon.

After seeing the two for a second time while they're running. A blonde woman in her thirties, taking a chilling morning at her balcony stateroom from one deck above, spared from lifeboat obstruction. Peering down, she noticed one of the tiger-men, the younger one. She took off her big round stylish sunglasses to have a better look, there's no doubts… It's him. "Hmm, I've never thought I'd get to meet him in person." She said. "Hmm, I wonder…" She leaves from the railing and walks away with no alarm, enters inside the stateroom. She looks the other separated bed with an occupant… He's still sleeping… Well, it's still morning.

"You're still asleep?" She mutters. She shakes his shiny-black-furred shoulder. "Malcolm, wake up!" She shouts.

"W-what?" He mumbles. The shirtless Rottweiler dog-man stands up his upper body and rubs his eyes, yawns and stretches. "What is it, Portia?"

Portia Matthews chuckles. "Get your things, I think we have work to do." And smirks.

"Work?" Malcolm Robertson raises his eyebrow. "On my vacation? Oh, hell naw!"

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun. You'll see." Portia assures.

In just three laps around the encircling deck, Jett and Sylvester finished one mile. Exhausted, sweaty and smelly, the two are panting for breath. Were they were racing each other? Like everyday fatherhood, one day, your son would beat you in your everyday activities. "Damn… you're a lot faster." Sylvester said between huffs.

"That felt great! Looks like your son just beat ya!" Said Jett. "What's wrong? Getting old?"

Wishing he didn't hear that, Sylvester recovers and replies, "I'm 38. I'm too young to be a grandfather, you know."

"Heh, that's only the beginning." Jett smirks.

"Whatever, let's go back to our cabin, Jett."

"Roger that."

Awaked by the excitement, little Sasha Parkinson tries to wake up his sleeping father. Their penthouse's windows is naturally lighted by the morning sun. The little pup dresses himself and climbs over where his father is sleeping, anxious to get him up. "Dad! Wake up! Wake up!" He cried and shoves his father's large body with his small furry hands.

Joshua mumbles. "Not now, kids, give me ten minutes." And turns his back to Sasha.

"Dad, come on! I want to eat breakfast and Mom is not going to cook, you know, because she's not here!"

"Not now, Charlie…" Joshua mumbles again.

"Dad!" He shouts. "If only I could use the ship's horn." And mutters. "Come on! Wake up!" He shouts louder. Then Joshua extends a hand and taps Sasha's head between his ears like hitting the seven-o-clock wake up alarm. It kind of hurts. Must be his habit of hitting that piece of junk for all his life. "Ow!" He cried.

"Huh…?" He raises his head and sees his son rubbing his head. "Sasha?"

"Finally, you're awake! I'm hungry!"

"Sorry, kiddo." He stands up and yawns, stretches and scratches the back of his head. "Get dressed, Sasha. I'm gonna take a shower."

"I already did." He's wearing a green t-shirt, white shorts and tennis shoes.

"Oh, alright." He yawns.

"Hey, who's Charlie?" Sasha asked.

"Who?" He looks really tired and puzzled, he scratches one of his pointed ears.

"You were talking in your sleep and I don't have a friend named Charlie." He stated.

"…" Really, who's Charlie? Joshua is silenced. Where did that come from?

"Dad, who's Charlie?" Sasha continues, he's curious.

"Oh! Uh, I don't know, but, I kind of like that name." He said.

"But you named me Sasha, and my middle name is Skyler." He points it out. "Are you seeing someone?"

"Sasha!" He burst out. What kind of kid says something like that!?

"Just asking."

"I wouldn't do something like that, Sasha, and don't say such-things like that." He strictly said. Sasha apologized.

Jett and Sylvester came back to their stateroom, once inside, Stephanie is brushing her hair in front of the mirror and Carolyn is reading the shore excursions while they're in their way to Hilo. There was a lot to do on those islands. From snorkeling to parasailing activities to choose from.

"Oh, you're both here." Carolyn said. "How was your run?"

"It was breeze." Sylvester said.

"More like stinky breeze." Stephanie said and flaps her hand. "Hurry up, you two. You both need a shower."

Jett places his hands on his waist and grins at her. "Looks who's Mom?"

"Oh, cut it out, Jett."

On deck 12, the buffet restaurant is a favorite place for passengers for those who don't want to be served by a waiter and they just want to be served for themselves. Usually is more packed at breakfast and lunch than dinner times. From cereal bowls to delicious pancakes you can choose from. Passengers waiting in line to order their omelet or sandwiches with everything on it. And others carrying a plate and stop by every stall what offers for breakfast. An ice sculpture of the cruise line's trident logo is the first thing you see when entering in the café and welcomed by a steward whom repeatedly saying to their guests: "Welcome the Seaside Café!" Over and over again but it does bring a smile from their guests.

The Rycrofts enjoying their meal together as a family next to a large rectangular glass of window of the ocean. Pretty much a boring thing to see than just seeing something more intriguing than just all blue water and clear skies. And of course, they will be spending six days in the ocean before arriving to shore.

"Stephanie, how's Kent?" Carolyn asked about Stephanie's boyfriend.

"He's spending his Christmas holidays and New Year's Eve in the Bahamas with his family this week." She replies.

"On a cruise?"

"No, seven-days in Atlantis Resort." She remarks. And takes a bite of scramble eggs.

"How nice."

"Who's Kent?" Her father asks. He really wasn't around.

"You don't know him, Dad. I met him this last semester, he moved to Miami from Orlando last spring break. He joined the soccer team with Jett."

"I see, and how he's like?" He just want to be sure if he's worthy of dating her.

"Sylvester, please, before you come up with anything against him. He's a nice and honest boy and I know him enough than you do." Carolyn said.

"Alright, alright." He sighed. "So, what are you two gonna do today?" Sylvester asked to Stephanie and Jett. "Your mother and I will be at the spa parlor."

"Isn't too early for that?" Stephanie said.

"People do early reservations and I did it at the last minute yesterday." Her mother said.

"Oh, well. Jett and I will be at the pool, the sun is really in shine." She said.

"And then we can go by at the teen lounge for later." Said Jett.

"Have fun, then." Said their tiger parents.

The college kids' windowless stateroom is full of breakfasts ordered from room service, too lazy to it least leave the cabin and go somewhere or do something around. But this is what they decided to do. "This is the sweet life." Said Spencer the bear. "Eat up everyone!"

"OMG, you guys should try the strawberry pancakes!" Christine exclaimed.

"Come on, Clover. Food service's here." Cried Pricilla.

"I'm coming." Replied Clover as she leaves the bathroom with a fresh cleaned jeans and a pink shirt and torn sleeveless jean jacket, she doesn't seem amused like Pricilla's friends are. Royce passes by her and enters the bathroom. The lynx-man is holding a bladder.

"Oh, come on, Clover, light up. We're on vacation." Megan tried.

"You know, I'm wasn't even gonna be on this trip." Said Clover. She took her plate of waffles and sits down. "'Cause I'm the reason that she's here now."

"Why she's here, Pricilla?" Megan asked.

"My parents told me if I'm going on this trip I'm must fulfill an under condition." She said.

"And what's that?" Megan said.

"That I take Clover with me."

"I wasn't even interested at all, but she begged me." Clover said and sighs. "I really wanted to stay in Rhode Island for New Year's Eve."

"Bummer." Megan said.

"I hope I didn't cause any trouble on your ticket prices, Spencer." Said Clover.

"Not at all, Chloe." Said Spencer.

"Is Clover." She corrected him.

"My bad."

"A lot of guys in her high school calls her like that, when flirting." Pricilla and Christine giggles. Clover growls of annoyance.

"I think I had enough for today." Clover said. She stands up, leaving the half eaten plate alone.

"Where're you going?" Isaac said.

"Somewhere, not here." She leaves the cabin and closes the door.

The cheetah-girl turns to the beagle dog-girl with a confused expression. "Is there another reason why she's here?"

"Just to keep an eye on me. But I'm 20, I'm the one to keep an eye on her." Pricilla said.

"She looks more mature than you are." Megan said.

"Oh, shut it."

"Hey, what I missed?" Royce the lynx just leaved the bathroom with a great relief from holding and noticed Clover's missing presence.

"It was nice of your brother to take over of our restaurant, Sylvester." Carolyn said to her husband. The tiger couple entered in the ship's spa parlor on deck 7 at the reception area.

"Robert may be a chef, but he can handle being as manager by himself." Sylvester explained to his wife.

"But who will take charge of the kitchen?"

"Cody will."

"Cody? But he's still in cooking school."

"This could be his opportunity, Carolyn. He could use some extra credit." Sylvester said. "Don't worry, Robert will take good care of the restaurant."

"You could've at least talked to me about it." Carolyn stated.

"I would, but Robert told me not to." He responded. "Come on, time to chill out." Carolyn just sighed at the end.

The sun really is in shine for all the sunbathers with colorful bathing suits resting on wooden deck chairs to be kissed by the sun. The main pool, on deck 13, is located between the two black-and-white funnels. The five pools: one is for adults with a glass enclosed magrodome for weather conditions, two openly at the stern, and one indoor on deck 7 in the ship's spa parlor. The main public pool has a bar, a rock climbing-wall placed behind the first funnel and the other end a flat LED screen placed in front of the aft funnel. There's also a small stage for musician performers, but there's no show today. Today is pretty quiet, save for the slight sound of the ship navigating through the water.

Jett and Stephanie, in their bathing clothes, walks up to the nearly crowed lido deck. Searching for an empty spot to rest on. Stephanie finds two available space and places their towels. Jett lifts his dark-green shirt and then adjust a little his green and blue trunks, playing his favorite sport since middle school, Jett has a developed physique of a pro athlete. Stephanie all comfortable in her pink flowered bikini and covered in sunblock of SPF 50. She has that healthy figure of a natural beauty herself, which gave her better confidence around her teenage life. The two lied down and facing the sunshine but Stephanie starts. "Hey, Jett." She shakes his shoulder. "Are you fine?" She knows something is off about his brother, looking both left and right in alert. Like being stalked.

"Nothing, I'm fine, just, a little insecure." He assures.

"I'm sure no one will stare at you, so don't be paranoid." She said. "Hey, did you have a talk with Dad?"

"Yeah, nothing serious. Just about my ordeal." Jett said.

"You'll get over with soon. But I'll have to admit it was kind of fun back there. It was some heck of an experience."

"Yeah, it was. I'm gonna miss it though." He mutters.

At the hot tub, the young Hispanic human trying to overcome his mind from everything from the past: By reading through his phone. Yesterday was a little rough: flying from New York to Los Angeles on one of the most incompetent airlines ever to fly the skies; Got himself distracted on the phone and crash into someone's suitcase; And of top of it all: a text message from his ex-girlfriend with a angry description with final blows. Rico didn't replied to her message and he continues with his own business in peace. Still upset to himself, but nothing can be done about it.

"Hey, you don't mind if we sit here?" A wolf-man said.

"Not at all, this is for everyone." Rico replied and continue reading his phone.

"Cool. Come on, Kale." The wolf-man and the human enters the hot tub. The tub can fit like six people. Just then, out of the blue. "Marrero? Is that you?" One of the two fellow occupants said an unmistakable surname. Rico moves his attention to the two and he remembers them very well.

"Wolfson?"

"Ryder, do you know him?" Kale asked.

"He's the travel agent who booked us on this cruise, Kale." Ryder smiley explained. "So what a surprise! Why you're here, Marrero?" And asked.

"What are you talking about? This is my treat." He poorly chuckles. "I have totally forgot I booked you both on the _Poseidon_." Rico felt a little awkward of meeting one of his clients while on vacation. Ryder Wolfson is been quite a costumer of Marrero: ordering either plane tickets or train tickets. He at first always ordered one ticket until Marrero noticed he started with two tickets since then. Now he knows why, obviously. He wipes the thought out of his mind of his encounter and said. "So, how's your accommodations?"

"Er, our stateroom is blocked by a lifeboat." Kale stated.

"I didn't know our room was cheap because of that." Ryder added.

"Oh, I see." Rico said. He quickly clarified what he meant. "Well, you could've called me and talk about it. But I guess you two were busy packing."

"Oh, don't mind about it. It wasn't your fault." Ryder said.

"Well, if you say so."

"And why do you mean by 'treat'?" Kale asked.

"Oh. I'm also a blogger. I do some reviews around while traveling. I'm now off to Hawaii for my next review. So I'm on my job and enjoying myself."

"That's interesting."

"Here's your drink, sir." A waiter in a casual uniform brought a piña colada with rum and a little umbrella to Rico he ordered.

"Thank you." Rico said. "Cheers." Raises his drink to both.

Clover Forrest is looking her way around the ship, not familiar with the ship's layout. "Big ship and so much confusion." Said to herself. She just got out from lunch at the sushi bar and now she's on her own looking for a place to gather or meet new people onboard. She found herself in the lobby and asks a crew member. In this case, she found the cruise director.

"Excuse me, miss, I'm looking the teen lounge area. I'm kinda lost." Clover said.

"Sure, is on deck 13. Take the elevator." Joyce Blake directed her.

"Thank you, miss." Clover walks up to the crystal elevator while other passengers or crew stepped in. After a ding, the elevator lifts up from deck 2 to deck 13. Right after the help, the blonde woman and the Rottweiler dog-man walks up to Miss Blake. She looks dressed as a ready reporter looking for a good story: closed shirt in gray suit and trouser, and black shoes.

"Cruise director?" She said.

"Yes. Can I help you?" Joyce said.

"Hi, I'm Portia Matthews. I'm a journalist of Channel Starr California and Magazine. I'm starting to see some famous faces onboard and I'm looking forward to have some nice interviews with them."

"Really? Well, I'd like to help. So, who are the people you're looking for?"

"Let's where to start." She started to think. "If I'm correct, is there a woman named Aubrey Quinlivan?"

"She's one of the entertainment staff. She's the singer." Blake said. "As far as I know she used to be in Britain's Got Talent."

"Good, and, is there a passenger named Jett Rycroft on that list?" After hearing the second request, Joyce starts looking through her tablet device and checks the passenger list. A few seconds she found it.

"Yes, he's traveling with his family." Joyce said.

"Huh, just his family?" Said Portia. "So he's not with his fellow felines then."

"Is he a celebrity?" Asked Joyce, she doesn't seem to be familiar with it.

" _Was_ a celebrity." She corrects.

"So why you're after him?" Joyce asked. Portia's face grinned sassily.

Arriving the teen lounge on deck 13, Stephanie and Jett sees a modern and very hip decorated room for teens alike. A social gathering place to hang out and to escape-away from their parents. So many to do from music to video arcade games. Usually is for 14 to 17 of age, but Jett's age (eighteen) could be an exemption.

"What's wrong, Jett?" Stephanie asked worried.

"I'm not sure if I should go here and people go staring at me if they recognize me." He said.

"That's ridiculous, Jett. You're no longer in that fame. All that's behind you. You're now a normal person."

"Still, people will recognize me, even on this boat."

"Ugh, there's like few people around here today." She gestures the public room. There's like less than a dozen teenagers here. "Are there any chances that one fan will bump you on this boat? Oh, come on, let's have fun. We're here to chill out."

"Alright, I'm hitting the games." He walks away and goes to one of the racing arcade games.

Stephanie wanders around and then she meets a fellow teenager and they started to hit it off and both hang out at the teen lounge's non-alcohol bar. "So, what brings you on this cruise, Clover?" Said Stephanie.

The beagle dog-girl sighs without bothered. "Ugh, just me and my cousin's college friends. She begged me to come on this trip, so she can be with someone closer who is traveling along with us. And now, I'm stuck on this boat."

"Oh, sorry to hear that. But it can't be that bad."

"I'm sleeping on the sofa bed." She stated.

"Bummer." _It's not easy being the black sheep_ , thought Stephanie. "So, where you from? You seemed to be from the north."

"Newport, Rhode Island."

"Oh, my brother visited there on his world tour." Stephanie smiled.

"World tour?" Clover questioned.

"Oh, my brother was…"

"Hey, Steph. I could use a second player..." Jett came by to them but just then he caught the attention of the beagle dog-girl's unexpected reaction: jaw dropped, eyes widen.

She gasped. "Jett Rycroft?! From The Feline Boys?" The young dog-girl cried surprised.

Jett wasn't ready for an unexpected surprise, especially from a fan. At least Jett kept an awkward optimistic smile for meeting an old fan. "Oh, uh... Yeah… It's nice to meet a fan."

"No way! On a cruise!?" She shrieked. "Hi, I'm Clover. It's so great meet you."

"So you're are a big fan of my brother and his band, huh?" Stephanie said.

"Yes, and I have all of their albums! It's kinda sad that the band broke up though." Clover said and smiles. "I've never thought I would meet my favorite." She holds her excitement. Stephanie laughs at this than how awkward it was for Jett. He's a little quiet but then saw another beagle dog-girl stomping aggressively.

"Clover, there you are." Pricilla burst into the lounge. She looks upset. There's trouble.

"What's wrong?" Clover said.

"Did you took my keycard with you?"

"Yes, right here." She shows it to her.

"Did you use it by any chance?"

"Hey, a girl has to eat. So I went to the sushi restaurant." Clover said without any care. Her own keycard doesn't apply for any purchases because of her underage.

"How dare you!" Pricilla barked. "And what are you two looking at!?" The two tigers looked the other way. Pricilla glares at Clover. "If you try to spoil our trip, you're gonna be sleeping in those big orange hammocks hanging outside."

"You mean the lifeboats, right?" Sternly said.

"Whatever! Just give it to me!" She swiftly took the card from her hand and leaves the area.

"What was that?" Stephanie asks.

"It's nothing. I just took her card without her permission." Clover said, not even guilty of it. On the other hand, Jett so far didn't saw any negative reaction on the beagle dog-girl. Little of disappointment, but still admiring a former singer of a boy band.

The evening at sea darkens for the night as MS _Poseidon_ lights the calmed, glassy sea reflecting under her. Tonight is the Captain's Gala Dinner and every single passenger are wearing their best for tonight. Low-tempo music is played in the ship's three-deck high grand dinning room on deck 2. Modernly luxurious of Art décor, glass-covered ceiling, multiple tables of different sizes and shapes, and constant chattering around. The newlywed cat couple walks to the main entrance door and to be greeted by a well dressed steward. "Ah, Mr. Maxwell, is great see you again." Said Sidney Jennings.

"Mr. Jennings, I'm so glad you're looking after us." Killian Maxwell said. He's a Royal Trident Member and had sailed on the _Poseidon_ before or other ships under the line. He started from Bronze, Silver to Golden rank. Now, he has access to the most exclusive places on the ship and other special activities.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Maxwell. And is nice see you again, Mrs… Maxwell?" He pauses for a short moment and stares at Mr Maxwell's different looking wife in a dark-red gown.

"I don't think we've met, I'm Zoey." The cat-woman said.

"Uh, of course, uh, you know," Jennings started, "Golden Card members can dine the Calypso Grill on deck 7." Offered Jennings.

"I know, but my wife wants to start simple for now." Said Killian.

"Well, in any case, I'll guide you both at table 10. Come with me." The Afro-American steward smiles and leads them to their table. Despite a slight confused sight.

"What was that about?" She whispers to Killian.

"I'll tell you some other time." Replied Killian.

On the second level of the dining room, a steward brought an appetizer for the college kids' table. Spencer the bear is into the gastronomy and so he's into everything on the menu. Megan the cheetah looks forward to have some caviar. Christine will just start with the salad. Royce would just simply eat mozzarella sticks. The boys looking sharp and the girls looking elegant. Isaac asked, "Pricilla, where's Clover?"

"She's eating at the buffet." She replied.

"How come?"

"Did something happened?" Megan started.

"No, is nothing. You know how self-sufficient she is." She actually got rid of her by tricking her. Clover is all up there by herself.

"Pricilla, after dinner, can we have a talk?" Isaac proposed.

Pricilla felt a spark in her heart and smiley replies, "Sure, Isaac." Her tail wags subconsciously. Christine chuckles her hidden reaction.

The three lions gathered up on the captain's table with other fellow passengers who were invited to seat and dine with the captain. This table for twelve, located right in the center of the dining room, is for Silver and Golden Card members.

"You know, we could make another proposal for the New Year's Eve party in front of your Dad and everybody." Red, wearing his semi-formal gray turtle-neck shirt and a black blazer, whispered to Gwen.

"Oh, please don't. I'll do the talking, but not tonight." Gwen, in a golden-brown gown, whispered back.

"Did you say something, Gwen?" Her father, in a sharp looking tuxedo, asked.

"Nothing, Dad." She responded.

The three sat down and the guests awaits for their host of this evening until the albatross bird-man with the captain's formal uniform, without the cap hat, arrives on time for his social duties. "Good evening, guests." Captain Whiteford said and takes his seat. "It's great you all were able to join me for dinner." Later, Foxley the fox-man came by with another fellow steward from India and started to serve the guest on the table.

Next from the captain's table, the Rycrofts were guided by a steward to their assigned table. "Here's your table and have a seat." Said the monkey-man steward. Sylvester first pulled the seat for Carolyn to seat on and did the same with Stephanie. The three picked the menu cards of tonight's dinner.

"You know, Mom. You could've taken me to the hairdresser and have myself a new hair-style for the gala." Said Stephanie.

"Sorry if your mother was selfish, but she really needed a new look." Her father smiled.

"I'll take you the next time before the New Year's Eve party." Said Carolyn with her new shoulder-length dark-brown hairdo. "Where's Jett?"

"He's…right on time." Sylvester said when he saw his son in a tuxedo, arriving to their table. With a poor tied tie.

"Sorry if I'm late." Jett said and seats with his family and few other diners. "A lady stopped me and asked for an interview, but I ditched it."

"An interview?" Sylvester asked.

"I don't know, she was sassing me around." Jett added.

The four of them takes their seats until the same monkey-man steward came back with two more people. It's very common on cruise ships' dining room to seat with other people. The little dog-boy sits next to Stephanie and politely greeted him. "Good evening."

"Good evening, you look handsome tonight." Stephanie smiley responded.

"Thank you, good thing my dad got rid of that hideous sailor suit that mom bought me for the gala." He stated. Stephanie giggles of what this little shepherd just said. "You look nice, too." Sasha complimented.

"Oh, thank you."

"Watch out, kid, she's has a boyfriend." Jett interrupted. Sasha leans to and sees who's next to Stephanie, a teenage tiger-boy, there's now way that can't be him. But it is.

"Is that Jett Rycroft from The Feline Boys?" Sasha said to Stephanie.

"Uh-huh, he's my brother. Wanna meet him?" She offered.

"Please don't." Jett overheard.

"Sorry, kid. He's not in the mood." Stephanie apologetically said.

"Was it about the break up?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so." Stephanie sadly said. The table goes as far as lively and casual. The stewards brought rich wine, and different types of bread. The stewards later brought the ordered food from their diners.

"So, Mr. Parkinson, what do you do for living?" Sylvester asked.

"I'm Vice President of the California Corp.," he replied, "we rely on working on new technologies for house living and utility for the alike market." He said.

Jett mutters, "First shepherd I met who's not a cop."

"Jett, please." His mother scolds him.

"It's all right, Mrs. Rycroft, I get that a lot." Joshua said.

"My classmates thinks that I should be a policeman." Sasha added.

"Don't let everyone get in your way of telling you what to be, little dude." Jett said.

The dinner gala went smoothly for the stewards, a great excellent service provided by Royal Trident Lines, and the diners are retiring the vast room. All what is left for the guest is to spend the night while is still young: entertainment, and lots of it! But not everyone is in a good mood for it. "Will that be anything, sir?" The stewardess asked the Hispanic.

"No, that'll be all." Said Rico as he sips his third martini. The stewardess leaves him alone whilst he spins around the glass and watching the olive moving around under the liquid. He looks at two cat couple from another table, the black-and-white cat-man gives a small gift to his beloved gray cat-woman, she smiles lovely and kisses him. Disgusted about himself, he leaves the dining room and sips the rest of his cup.

"Oh, is so beautiful…" Cooed Zoey after opening her present, is a silver watch with tiny diamonds.

"It's actually a gift from my brother after our wedding day." Killian explained.

"How thoughtful of him… What's this?" She picks a small piece of paper from the small box and reads. "Please take care of my little brother, Zoey. I think you'll be a great wife. Sincerely, Tony." She chuckles and smiles of how her brother-in-law appreciates.

"Oh, Tony…" Was all what Killian could said.

The guests are retiring from the table and Foxley had served the last of it for tonight. "Will it be all, Captain?" Foxley asked.

Before he could reply, the hidden wireless-telephone under the captain's table it silently rings with a red light beeping. Whiteford picks it up, "Captain here. What is it?"

"This is Reynolds from the engine room." It was Chief Engineer Jonathan Reynolds from the engine room, "We're having trouble with engine number three."

Whiteford's reaction is unaffected, he's used to hear this kind of situation, even when he's having dinner with guests. "I see…" He responded.

As promised by Isaac, Pricilla never thought that her chances weren't that wide. She prepares by adding lemon-flavored lipgloss on her lips. If everything goes as planned, she will have the most romantic cruise experience ever had. Nothing will go wrong. Outside on deck 7 looking the aft side of the ship's wake left out. Isaac nicely escorts Pricilla around the deck for a little chat, just her and him. "This is nice, Isaac. A little chilly though." Said Pricilla.

"I might going to pass on that." Said Isaac, not going to give her his black jacket for warmth and comfort.

Pricilla blinked out of confusion of what he said. "What…?"

"Pricilla, I think you're a nice girl, but I don't like how you treat Clover at all." He stated.

"Oh, she just a little upset for going on this cruise, that's all." She excused.

"I know you got rid of her and she's eating at the buffet." He sternly said.

She stammers. "How… How did you know?"

"She texted me." Isaac shows his mobile phone to her with an angry description from Clover. "I'm also friends with her on Facebook, so she told me a lot about you." He added. Annoyed and defeated, she looks the other way. "Do me a favor." He continued, "If you two don't get along, I don't think you and me we'd have a nice vacation together, plus our friends."

"Ugh, really?"

"Pricilla." With a serious tone.

"Okay, okay! Jeez. I'll make it up for her." She rolled her eyes, annoyed.

"I hope so."

"Can... Can we at least continue our night?" She hopes, but…

"Not tonight." Pricilla's hopes were crushed.

The ship's magician, a hyena-man, Floyd Archer is looking sharp for tonight's magic show in the ship's theater. When someone think of a magician they always think of them as wearing a black cape and black top hat, but Archer is the modern-day type of magician wearing just only a black tux. He came back to his seat at the cocktail bar near the casino from the restroom where he meet back with the same Caucasian waitress with the name tag: Kacy Fullerton. He sat on the bolted stool and relaxes. "Another Manhattan, please." He ordered.

"Coming right up!" She proceeds and picks the certain ingredients to make a Manhattan.

While waiting, Floyd noticed a missing presence and looks at his left, an empty stool and a finished Bone Dry Martini. "Say, where's the Spaniard I was talking to?" He asked the waitress.

"I don't know. I think he left." She replied. "I don't think that advice of yours worked."

"I didn't even finished what I wanted to say to him." He said. "Oh well, how heartbroken can he be?"

"I don't know, Mr. Archer, but whatever she did to him, he must be taking it really heavy." Said Kacy.

The cold night breeze lightly howls the promenade deck, as every passengers wants to take a time from the crowd at this time of the hour. Away from everything and mostly a nice romantic time for their special one. "The sea is really calm, Ryder." Said Kale and he looks at the dark-blue horizon and the countless stars like never before seen back in New York.

"That's how the Pacific Ocean is named." Replied Ryder the wolf. The two kept on walking the deck until the wolf-man in a tux speaks. "Kale, uh, can I ask you something?"

"Yes…"

"Care to explain why did you brought an _urn_ in your suitcase?" Ryder asked. Kale kept silence for a moment. "Kale?" Ryder kept on.

"I haven't told you, have I?"

"Who's inside, Kale?"

"My grandfather." Kale stated. "He died before I started high school. You see, after you told me we were going on this trip. This was my opportunity, so I brought it with him so I can release some of his ashes to the sea as part of his will." He explained.

"And his will is _this_ ocean specifically?" Kale nodded. "So, when are you gonna do that? Tonight? Tomorrow?" Ryder kept asking.

"This New Year's Eve tonight." Kale announced.

The pair then stared at someone who is walking like no drunk person ever walked before and started singing some classics 70s. " _The love boat! Soon we'll be making another round!"_ He drunkenly sang. Swinging his arms and heading close to the railing. Startling the two bystanders and decided to take action. The man climbs two steps on the rail and leans forward over the rail. Below him was the rushing water against the ship's starboard side.

Ryder quickly grabbed him from behind and pulled him away from the rail. "Are you crazy?!" Yelled Ryder. "You could have fallen over!" But the human curses him in Spanish drunkenly and then his cheeks puffed up with a sick feeling on his face. Somehow recovering his soberness and runs to the rail again, but the position was different, only his head out and started soiling out of his mouth into the sea.


	3. Chapter 3: Rocking and Rolling

Chapter 3: Rocking & Rolling

On deck, another bystander witnessed the odd incident and ran directly towards the three individuals. Lucky for them was one of the security officers on night shift patrolling the promenade deck. The Labrador dog-man, Thomas Furlong, saw the out cold body, calls the medic for assistance. In a short while, the ship's doctor, a St. Bernard dog-man Julian Daxner, a retired veteran from the Royal Navy arrived at the scene. Ryder was shocked to realize that the person whom they stopped from climbing over the railing was Rico himself. _Why did he do that?_ He thought to himself. Rico rests on the wooden deck chair completely passed out as Dr. Daxner examines him.

"How is he, Doctor?" Ryder asked.

"He's fine, just out cold." He stated.

"I don't think he deliberately committed to jump, Dr. Daxner." Said Furlong.

"Well, that's a relief." Said Kale.

"I don't understand, he was just fine earlier today." Ryder said.

"Well, not everyone can handle the liquor." Said Dr. Daxner.

In a short moment the human moans and wakes up, "Where am I?" He mumbled and places his left hand on his forehead. "Oh, my head hurts…"

"Marrero, are you all right?" Ryder said.

"Wolfson? Summers?" He glances at the two and glances at another two unfamiliar canids. "W-what happened?"

"You got drunk and climbed over the railing and leaning too close to it. But I stopped you right on time." Ryder explained.

"You got lucky, young sir, otherwise you could've fallen." Said Dr. Daxner.

Rico sighed—his red-face of too much martinis. "I'm sorry. I caused too much trouble, haven't I?" He looked the other way in embarrassment of his careless actions. He stands up almost unsteadily from his deck chair. "I… I thank you for stopping me, Mr. Wolfson… I…"

"No need to thank me… Really." He gestures with his right hand.

"I'll explain everything tomorrow, alright?" He said. "I knew I shouldn't have come here…" And quietly said. The Doctor offered an escort to his cabin but Rico said he was fine by himself for now. But then he loses his balance and rest against the white painted steel wall. Dr. Daxner didn't take a moment to ask again and take him along the way.

"He'll be alright, Mr. Wolfson, have a good night." He said and escorts the half-intoxicated human. "Mr. Furlong, you can take it from here." He added. The Labrador dog-man hadn't said a word after calling Daxner over the walkie-talkie.

"Um, I need a full report of this incident," said Furlong, "Would you two come with me?"

"Of course." Said the pair. The three walk along the deck to the nearest door to get inside and enter the closest elevator sets.

Four decks up on deck 10, the Rycrofts came back from the ship's theater after dinner. They're now tired and tomorrow is another day at sea. "That was great!" Said Stephanie. "The music, the dancing, the singing. It was fabulous! Even that magician was awesome!" She added. The four made it back to the cabin and started to get dressed in their sleep-clothes for bed until a knocking on the door happens. Jett was the closest so he reach towards it. Opening it, a familiar figures he has encountered earlier before: It was that sassy lady he bumped into.

"You again?"

"Hi, sorry about earlier," the lady said, "I was just trying to have a chance with you."

"For an interview, right?" The tiger-boy said.

"Look, I'm sorry I was rushing on you, but do you think you have the time for an interview and then I'll leave your vacation alone?"

"I don't think I'm interested, lady."

"Jett, who's at the door?" Jett's parents came up behind him.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Rycroft, nice meet you both!" She cheerily said.

"So, you're the lady whom my son was being chased on." Said Sylvester.

"I'm Portia Matthews, please to meet you," she shakes Sylvester's hand, "I was just asking your son for an interview for my next magazine article. I just want to know more details about the aftermath of your son's defunct boy band, that's all."

The tiger parents were unsure about this. This was so sudden. However, that was one summer ago. Could Jett be willing to open up to the public? "Well, is up to Jett to decide. I'm not sure if…" Carolyn tried to state her sentence but...

"There's no way you're going to leave me alone, do you?" Jett interrupted sternly. "If I assist the interview, will you leave my life alone?"

"Is that a yes?" She asked.

"Yes!" Without roaring.

"Great! How about tomorrow afternoon? Goodnight." She happily walks away.

Jett sighed and goes to his bed. "Goodnight, Mom and Dad." He closes the door.

The couple prepares for bed, but Sylvester wonders, "What does Jett is going to say to the journalist?"

"I'm pretty sure he's going to come up clean about the break up." Carolyn said.

"Hmm…" Sylvester, just out of retirement from the Navy, wasn't around at the time of Jett's recently broke up boy band. As far what he had learned, an unfortunate incident occurred last summer and things got bad to worse for the band. Jett has something to say whenever or not he feels like it in the interview. If he does, it will be something like a confession. But if not, it will be like a made up story as a piece of his mind.

The following morning of December 30th, 2020, the sea is choppy but still sunny. _Poseidon_ 's been bumpy early this morning. The ship, bouncing up and down, rocking and rolling sideways and both ways. One person or beast-men, who are sensible, could easily get a touch of _mal de mer_ (seasickness) _._ The crew's point of view are more concerned than just choppy waters. They are concerned and struggling to get engine number 3 up and running again. Captain Whiteford and his men are hoping any good news of their current situation since the ship is slowing down. Otherwise, they could fall behind schedule. The horse-man, Chief Engineer Jonathan Reynolds finally gives the latest status. Captain Whiteford picks up the phone, "Captain, here."

"Captain, I'm afraid engine number 3 will be out of service." Spoke Reynolds. "We're shutting it down. We must get ashore to receive serious technical maintenance."

"Alright, Mr. Reynolds. I guess we must use the gas-turbines for now."

"Loud and clear, no need to hear it again!" He hangs up. He black horse-man glances his fellow engineers, "Get the gas-turbines ready! We have a schedule to keep!"

While the ship's motion doesn't affect the passengers' day to go outside on deck and breathe the salty-ocean-air of the third day in the Pacific. The dancing crew in the ship's theater are not affected by the small movement of the ship. Their rehearsal has turned out great and going smoothly. The dance instructor has praised Lani's natural dancing skills and suggesting the other dancers to follow her suit. Always with that bold tone of his. Sidney walk by to the theater to see his Hawaiian friend rehearsing. Also there, the cruise director Joyce Blake and her superior; the hotel manager Nicholas Collins, they were viewing the dance crew performance at the front row seats.

"Oh, Mr. Jennings, what're you doing here?" Mr. Collins said. A human wearing his hotel manager rank which looks practically different from the officers' uniform – a turquoise blue blazer. He's the person who takes charge of hotel operations onboard. And Ms. Blake is his assistant as a cruise director.

"Just wanting to see my friend Lani rehearsing." Jennings replied.

"Well, Mr. Jennings, I'll have to admit; I'm really glad you brought a talented dancer with us." The rabbit-woman said. "It's too bad she's only staying for a while."

"Well, she has her ways."

"Alright, everyone, take five!" The dancer instructor commanded. All the dancers relax on the stage. But the Hawaiian girl steps down from the stage and greets her friend.

"Hi, Sid! Guest what?! I'm the lead for tomorrow's New Year's Eve Hawaiian dance!" She cried.

"Really? That's great!" He smiled.

"Like a natural dancer from her accident ancestors." Ms. Blake said. "Mr. Jennings, you really never disappoint me."

A light-brown horse-woman came out from the back stage wearing simply her casual clothing, yellow button shirt and skinny jeans, her hair recently brushed and tied into a pony-tail, yes, ironic it is. During her work, she often wears attractive dresses of variety of colors for every evening performances. She meets up with the other crew members in the big unattended theater. She actually was after the rabbit-woman. "Ms. Blake, was there something you want to talk to me?"

"Aubrey, looking good today." Jennings said.

"Oh, Jennings, always flirtatious with other women." She teased with a sly smile.

"I didn't mean it like that." Jennings said while rubbing the back of his bald head. Lani covers her mouth as she chuckles.

"Ms. Quinlivan, a journalist onboard wants to have an interview with you this afternoon." Ms. Blake informed.

Aubrey blinked twice, "An interview?"

"Yes, I'm sure it won't be long."

"Humph, very well, then." She responded. "This is so unusual to hear." She stated.

"I've seen you on TV before. You were quite a star there." Mr. Collins said. "Getting an interview could be a good shot for you."

"Well, if you say so."

Finally, the engineers activated one of the two gas-turbines for the additional power needed. The officers on the bridge saw the ship recovering her cruising speed. Everything's back to normal, save for the engine number three being out of service.

"We're back at 24 knots, Captain." Said the penguin-man, Fourth Officer Reggie Shore.

"We're good, then." Captain Whiteford in relief.

"Captain, about the weather in the south." Asked Second Officer Greyson.

"I've told you, Mr. Greyson, we're over 100 nautical miles away from it. We'll have calmed seas this crossing." Captain Whiteford remarked. The raccoon-man glances at the polar bear Snowdon with a shrug response.

"Greyson, I've contacted with NOAA and the US Coast Guard that is perfectly safe to travel this voyage." First Officer Snowdon explained. "We're just choppy today."

"If you asked me, Mr. Snowdon…" Randall Seabridge the Fifth Officer, a seagull bird-man, was about to say his statement but a telephone bleeps loudly near him and quickly picks it up with his feathered gray hand. "Seabridge, here." It was Dr. Daxner on the other end, explaining a situation. The seagull nodded, "Thank you, Dr. Daxner." He hangs up. He looks at his fellow officers in the bridge with a slight concerned face. "We got a lifeless body found in a passenger's cabin." He announced.

Was Third Officer Holmes to first to react, she gasps, "Oh my!"

On deck 7, the winter garden lounge; Ryder and Kale found Ricardo Marrero sitting alone on one of the tables. Having some European coffee and reading the news on his mobile phone, he much prefers his native coffee which he imports some from his family. The Hispanic human caught his eyes on the pair approaching him. "Mr. Wolfson, Mr. Summers...?"

"Marrero, how you feeling today?" Ryder started the small talk.

"Just fine, sober." He responded calmly. "Listen, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I have no control, I couldn't kept myself on the line, and…" He couldn't find any good term for his apologies, "Tsk, I'm a mess!"

"Ricardo, you're not a mess. Do you think you can tells us your issue," said Ryder, "because my mate here is a psychologist, he can help you. No charge!" He grinned while resting his hand on Kale's shoulder.

Rico glances at Kale, "I thought you were an artist?"

"Part-time." Kale stated.

"Well, never mind about it." Rico sighed and starts, "You see, my girlfriend left me before I could tell her about the cruise, I was hoping that our relationship could be fixed if we go together. We were having some difficulties a few weeks ago and I was trying to make it work, but I failed." He looks at the nearby window, a view of the promenade deck with the railings and a life-preserver in place and the sky and sea between the horizon, he sighed, "Coming to this tub by myself was a mistake."

"Is that all?" Kale asked. Rico nodded. "But, what made you to come on this trip?"

"First; my job as blogger. And second; I was supposed to bring my little cousin with me since Clara left me, but he broke his leg, and now I'm by myself." He said. "But I didn't know how badly affected I was by the break up that I didn't felt well and I decided to drink a whole." The pair listened.

"Well, I see you're depressed about this situation." Kale said.

"Yeah, that is why I decided to go back to New York when the ship docks on shore."

"Huh? Wait, are you leaving?" Wolfson said.

"Sorry, guys. My mind's made up, I'll be going back to New York." He announced. "Have a good-day." He stands up from his chair but Ryder stood up.

"Come on, Rico. Don't let a broken heart get you in the way. Cheer up!"

"Thanks, but, I think I should settle myself on land. Not surrounded by water." Rico said and left the lounge.

"There's nothing I can do, Ryder. I think this could be good for him." Said Kale.

"Oh, you're right, then." Sighed the wolf-man.

The sky deck, windy and chilly as always and making Gwen's and Red's hair to rustle by it. The lion couple walk together on deck 14, the last and top-most deck of the ship. It's where the sport's court and the indoor –glassed-covered– pool is, and the tall-and-slim forward funnel in the middle while its twin cosmetic funnel at aft.

"So, your old roommate didn't stop playing loud music at pass curfew?" Said Gwen. "You could've gotten into trouble."

"Well, it was a close call." Said Red. "Horace was a terrible liar, but he unbelievably managed to surpass it. I guess he read _How to Be a Good Liar._ "

"Must be a good book." She mumbled.

"So anyway, what's your plan?" Red changed the subject. Gwen just responded with a questionable, muffling hum. "How you're going to tell him?" He asked.

"Umm… I don't know… I was thinking…"

"We got fourteen days left, Gwen. When's going to be the time you're going to tell him?"

"Well, yesterday, Dad told me when we arrive at Honolulu, we'll be spending an evening there in a restaurant. I think it could be a good time to make the announcement. What do you think?" She explained. The ship will be spending one whole night in Honolulu as part of the ship's itinerary.

"Is it for real?"

"I think it can work." She assured. "Any bright ideas?"

"No, I think is convenient."

"I hope it goes well. I just really want Dad to understand from what I want."

"He stills sees you as a cub, doesn't he?" Red stated.

"Dad knows I'm not a cub anymore."

"I bet he's not ready to give you away at the wedding."

"Russell!" Gwen cried but was then interrupted by the ship's forward funnel, blaring out loud. Echoing through the sea, another ship passes her by. White as the great white whale with blue schemes on her hull and funnel, the 135,000-ton _Oceanic Queen_ of Oceanic Cruise Lines sail pass _Poseidon_ as she salutes with her horn. The cruise liner is on her way back to Los Angeles after her long Hawaiian cruise. After a short while, the ship passed away north-eastwards, the horn battle ceased. The lion couple can now continue their talk.

"Sorry, about that. It was just a thought." Red apologized.

"It's fine. You're just too honest."

"Too honest that I could blow a whistle to your father at any moment." He nervously chuckled.

"Your point?"

"I really want to say the words to your father, but you want to take this cautiously. Are you afraid that he'll punch my head?"

"That's not it." She sighed. "What if he doubts our proposal?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't doubt about us." He draws his right arm around her shoulders. The couple continue their stroll around the open deck with their discussion. Red is all confident about the marriage proposal and he wished he could have say it in front of Mr. Kershaw in a normal meeting like the living room. But it all turned out so differently in a blink of an eye; He kneeled down, she said yes, and both are now on this cruise.

The dead body of the identified Mr. Gleeson has died of natural causes, according to Dr. Daxner. Mrs. Gleeson hadn't said a word after finding her husband lifeless in their stateroom on deck 9. Dr. Daxner and the crew involved in the situation condolences her loss. For now on, the body will be preserved in the ship's morgue onboard. These are common but unfortunate scenarios on cruise ships. The crew and staff will keep this in silence from the passengers. But for those who have meet Mr. Gleeson earlier in the days of the cruise will soon ask Mrs. Gleeson where's is he and how is he. The rumors will likely be spread throughout the ship.

"Oh, you're joking, Royce." Scoffed Pricilla.

"I swear, I overheard a passenger was found dead in the cabin by the doctor." Royce claims. "They said it was natural causes."

"Well, it least it wasn't murder." Christine added.

The college kids relax in one of the hot tubs on deck 13 at the lido deck. The tub was sloshing a little in different directions to almost spilling the hot water out. Pricilla does her best to cheer her cousin by joining in the tub to fit in with her friends, but Clover wasn't in the mood. She instead rest on the wooden deck chair and read her favorite book under the sun with sunglasses. As much she hates to be anti-social, she lost her interest to be with them. Clover is going to hate every moment on this trip every time she's with them.

"Is she still mad at you, Pricilla?" Megan asked.

"Kinda, but I'm gonna leave her until she's calmed—Uh, where is she?" She glances at the wooden steamer chair and she was gone. Looking around she quickly spots her with two tigers and the three walked away. If Pricilla doesn't make up with her cousin, Isaac would not be pleased, just so unfair. Last night she tried to apologize for tricking her but Clover barked at her, leaving Spencer, Megan, Christine, Royce and Isaac outside in the corridor. The conflict has worsen.

"How's it going guys?" Clover greeted her new friends.

"Hi, Clover." Stephanie replied. "Jett and I are just heading to the mini-golf court. Wanna join with us?"

"Sure." Without looking behind where the tub is, she continue walking along.

The nine-hole mini-golf course, just behind the aft dummy funnel on deck 14, is filled with golfers, mostly kids; one seven-year-old boy swung the white ball too hard and went overboard, the ball is gone whilst his father is scolding him. Thanks goodness Jett wasn't like that in his childhood. The trio grabbed a putter club and started with the first course. Starting with Stephanie to gently swing the ball. The ball went too off, must be ship rocking around. That is pretty much why the children are driven crazy with this game.

"I haven't asked," said Clover, "What brings you guys on this cruise?"

"Just for the holidays," said Jett, "And my dad just came back home from the Navy."

"That's so cool." It's Clover's turn and she swings the club, the ball went too far and missed the hole. "Damn it!"

"You should totally see how Jett reacted when Dad appeared under the giant present." Said Stephanie. "My mom caught it on film." She giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… Can we please change the subject?" Jett shake it off.

"Sorry, I know Dad means a lot to you." Said Stephanie.

"Why… Why… Do you have to say that in front of her?" Jett muttered under his breath.

"Anyways, when's your interview?" Stephanie started.

"Um, this early afternoon." Jett replied, "She'll be meeting me at our room."

"An interview, huh?" Clover said, "Whatcha gonna say?"

"I'm still thinking…" Jett swung the club, the ball nearly reaching the first hole, but the ball took a sharp turn by the sudden movement and missed. "Oh, shoot…"

"Well, don't think too long, just say what you've been through and what you know." Said Stephanie.

"Yeah, I know, the journalist wants to know about me and the broken band."

"So, is it true about Bradley?" Clover asked. "I've heard rumors, but I don't know if it they were true."

"You'll soon find out." Jett stated.

"Do you think you can do a favor? For all the fans?"

"What favor?"

The ship's public announcement system rings throughout the ship, a voice speaks up. " _It's bingo time! Ladies and gentlemen, we're holding today's bingo contest at the theater_. _The winner will get a $1,000 dollar reward and a free discount at one of the restaurant onboard you can choose from. Starting at 1:00 PM at the Applause Theater hosted by your cruise director Joyce Blake. Thank you for your attention and I hope you all participate."_ The voice hangs up.

The early afternoon of one PM in ship's time. Portia and Malcolm gathered up with Miss Quinlivan for the interview. The horse-woman suggested to do it in Portia's stateroom, because her cabin is small and little of space. Portia and Malcolm together asks her common questions about her and career as a singer and working on the ship. The blonde woman and the Rottweiler-man takes some notes and a mobile phone as a voice recorder.

"But sadly," said Aubrey on a comfortable chair along with the two journalist, "despite all the cheers of ovation towards me, I've never made it to go places. And my life has become serious, especially with my twins, it least my mother is taking care of them whilst I'm taking my opportunities here onboard." The pair listened, taking notes.

"Do you have a personal conclusion, Ms. Aubrey?" Asked Portia, clicking the pen slowly.

A silence from her emerges but she smiley got an answer, "For now, I think have what I wanted. I've been working on this ship for months, I might think I could come back to London."

"Are you saying this is your last voyage?" Asked Malcolm.

"No, not yet. My contract would not expire for another three months." She stated.

"Well, I guess that's all we covered." Said Portia as she stands up from her seat. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Aubrey."

"It's a pleasure." She stands up, "I'll see you around." Malcolm opens the door for her and exited. She must go back to her quarters for rehearsal for the New Year's Eve ball party.

Portia turned to Malcolm. "Well, Malcolm, we better find our next celebrity."

"What was his name? Jeff Croft, right?"

Portia's face turned annoyed, "Boy, not even close." And sternly said.

Foxley the steward wanders around the crew members' mess hall, he's not wearing his uniform and he's just being himself, the fox-man found his colleagues Sidney and Kacy in one of the tables with the Hawaiian native. Kameron learned from Sidney that he brought a new dance member for the trip back to Honolulu, he never actually got a chance to meet her. So, here's his chance.

"Kameron, just in time!" Jennings cheered with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Foxley." Said Kacy.

"Hello, Kacy. Hello, Sidney. He sits along with the three. He glimpse at the young beautiful native. "And you must be Lani."

"And you must be Kameron." Lani said. "Sid talked about you."

"Sid?"

"That's my nickname, Kameron. Didn't I told you?"

"First time hearing it." He said and take a brink of his orange juice. "So, have you met the new Mrs. Maxwell?"

"Uh, yeah, I have… at the dining room." Sidney rubs the back of his head.

"Who's Mrs. Maxwell?" Lani asked. "A passenger?"

"Yes, it looks like Mr. Maxwell got remarried." Foxley stated. "They're in their honeymoon right now."

"Really? I wonder what happened to the old Mrs. Maxwell." Jennings thinks. In his past previous works on other ships of the Royal Trident Lines, Jennings met the Maxwells onboard the _Oceanus_ back in 2015 as their steward, what he could recall that they were a lovely couple traveling together around the world. As Jennings doesn't the have the time to remember every single passengers' names, he would always kept few in mind as it is not easy to handle 2,700 passengers on this ship. However, they could curiously ask, but it's more rather too soon and boldly rude.

It's been reported that 27 passengers are seasick during the day as the _Poseidon_ sails into choppy waters of the Mid-Pacific Ocean. Soon the ocean liner would pass the Tropic of Cancer in just several miles through southeastwards. It's nothing special unlike crossing through the equator as most ships celebrate it. Dr. Daxner now has his hands full and brought the needed medicines and make sure they all stay in bed. The St. Bernard dog-man, along with an assistant nurse, heads to the next patient: the Maxwells; in Trident Suite. The Doc knocks the door and wait. A black-and-white cat-man answers the door, his expression are a little agitated.

"Yes?" Killian said.

"I'm Dr. Daxner, I think you've been calling me."

"All morning! Please, come in." Killian guides the two crewmen to the upper level of the suite. "Are you the only doctor on this tub?"

"The only ship's doctor, Mr. Maxwell." Daxner stated.

"Then what happens if somebody would be dying in here?"

"Oh, please Killian, looks who's not dying!" Zoey groaned. The gray-furred cat-woman is resting on the master bed covered in white sheets all wrapped around her. Completely nauseated, on top of it all.

"Several passengers aboard are seasick, Mr. Maxwell. We have to take them in rotation." Dr. Daxner informed. The nurse examines Zoey's fever with the thermometer and Dr. Daxner hands over the medications for seasickness. "Take these now, Mrs. Maxwell, and another in eight hours and remain in bed until the sea is totally calm."

"Thank you, Doctor." Zoey sickly said.

"That's it? So you just came all the way here to give her some pills and tell her to stay in bed? You didn't even examined her!"

"Oh, please Killian, I'm just seasick like I told you!" Zoey remarked.

"Don't you see she's badly sick?" Killian raised his voice. "Just look at her? It could be the norovirus!"

"I'll know what is a norovirus or not, Mr. Maxwell."

"And how she's gonna take those pills if she can't even swallow water?"

The lady nurse explained, "They're suppositories, Mr. Maxwell. You don't swallow 'em."

"Then what the hell are you supposed to do with them?"

"They go in my vagina." Zoey clarified. "Can you asked them to leave?" Killian gawped.

"Um, Nurse, we must continue our rounds." Dr. Daxner said to the nurse. The doctor and nurse exchange glances. They impassively proceed to down stairs, until Killian still has a little of his nerves.

"I still think it's the norovirus!" He shouted them above the stairs before they closed the door.

"I already had the norovirus, Killian!" Zoey shouted. "And what's with you, eh?" As much she wants to overcome her accustomed Canadian dialect that runs naturally from her family, she cannot really help it but break it. Killian, of course, doesn't mind her ways of speaking her native tongue.

"Nothing's wrong with me, I just…"

"Stop worrying about me," she interrupted, "I'm going to be fine soon. It's been a long time since I've been at sea. And you've been on a lot of voyages than I do." Zoey stated. Killian sits closer to her on the bed, not minding her sickness.

"Yes… Yes, I have…" Killian calmly said.

"Killian, are you really moved on?" Zoey asked.

A long silence between the two domestic felines filled the room. Killian looks away from her and glimpses the panoramic view of the ship's wake. "I… I really am trying to live on…"

"Killian," Zoey started and moves closer to Killian, "whatever it is, let me tell you that I'm here. I know you've been married before to someone and she would want you to live on."

"I am trying to live my life to the fullest with you, Zoey. I'm glad of you to be part of my life." Killian said and holds her hand and kiss it. The gray feline weakly smiles.

"You're one caring cat-man, aren't you, Killian?" Zoey softly said.

A grumble Rottweiler dog-man wanders around the corridors of deck 10. Portia told him to find Jett Rycroft because he 'miss-named' his full name, whether or not if that was a made up word. Luckily, he spots him in the distance right on time. Jett stops by the door of his stateroom and looks at the door knob sign hanging: Do Not Disturb. A roar of a wild beast behind the door followed. Jett just froze there of the unexpected. He quickly shakes it off and saw the dog-man coming to him.

"Jett Croft, right?" Malcolm said.

"It's Rycroft." He corrected. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Portia's colleague. I was looking for you. Are you ready?"

"Uh… Yeah, yeah!"

"Come on. I think your folks need some alone time."

"Yeah…" Jett nervously said. He wants to get that thought out of his mind. Sadly, Jett wished he could get some advice from his parents about his interview. Now, his only advices from Clover and Stephanie are his only guide. He follows the dog-man to his direction through the corridor. Walking down two flights of stairs to deck 8. And what seemed like forever until they've reached forward. Malcolm slips his keycard and enter inside the stateroom. Portia was there tidying up for the little reunion.

"Portia, I brought him." Malcolm announced.

She turned around and smiles, "Jett! Looking handsome today. Come, come."

"I wasn't sure where I should meet up. But it least I'm here." Jett said.

"Well, that's what matters. Have a seat." She gestures him a seat. "On the bright side, you don't have to worry about those dreadful paparazzi and social media, just me and Malcolm."

Starting with a nice conversation with the journalists, Jett felt comfortable with them without any pressure. Opening up, little by little, to even share some of his personal life facts; like how he got his name—his mother gave birth in just eight months during a flight between Los Angeles to Miami, the name Jett was the first thing that the pilots came up before his mother was sent to the hospital in a rush. Jett talked about his dream career as a singer or joining in a rock band. He auditioned to join a boy band in Miami when he was 15, and joined along with the other members. The name, The Feline Boys, was a coincidence when the judges and manager were searching for five post-puberty, but talented individuals. They had picked five feline beast-men: a lion-boy (Bradley Roar), a black jaguar-boy (Tiberius Shade), a snow leopard-boy (Sean Wilde), a puma-boy (Quentin Scott), and a tiger-boy (Jett Rycroft). The band made its debut with their first album in 2017, the social media sparked massively wide. The group are known for their multi-bilingual songs (English/other language) which expresses an international feel. When Portia asks about the break up, Jett's comfortable face faded.

"Bradley Roar," Jett started, "he was the youngest of our group. He was really excited as well as all of us being in the band, and be famous and all that stuff. The media considered him as the 'cute one'." Jett chuckles. Jett was also classified as the "older brother type" in the band. "We quickly became friends after that." He continued, "Everything was going awesome in our hay-day…" He paused and thinking about last summer. "…until things got into Bradley's way. I never knew how serious it was. His father was hospitalized while we were in our Summer World Tour. The news hits him like rock bottom, all the way while we were in UK, it distracted him severely. The rehearsals weren't very good. I tried to settled him and cheer him up but then I regrettably told him to at least hold it off and wait. I didn't know how serious it was, so Bradley furiously yelled at me and stomped away. I followed him through the streets but I wasn't quick enough to…" He looked down and stare at his crossed striped arms. "…to save him." Softly spoke. "He was alive though. Thank god. A broken leg —Quentin recalled it as a sign of bad luck. You know, break-a-leg? And it did. Bradley had enough and wants to go back home with his father and he quit. Too much pressure. He didn't wanted to listen to me, I couldn't even say anything or remember what I wanted to say to him. He refused harshly. And told me about that 'you'll never understand of how it's like to be in the worst possible life-and-death situations'. I told him no and didn't talked to me again. Hurt. Betrayed. Lonely. I quietly walked away. The band will never be the same again. I regret of what I just said. The future concerts were cancelled. And we slowly went to our separate ways…"

The two journalist listened, they somehow stopped writing down at some point. Overwhelmed by his point of view. "Any conclusions, Jett?" The Rottweiler asked.

"I want to say to Bradley that I'm sorry for hurting his feelings. I really am…" He concluded. "I've never talked about him or posted anything in public until now."

"Well, I think we got enough." Said Portia and standing up from her seat. "Thank you for coming, Jett. Your story will be published before you know it!" She cheery said. "I hope you enjoy your vacation with your family." She continued, "I've heard Hawaii is an amazing place to bring families closer together."

"Yeah. Same to you, miss." Jett said as he stands up from his seat. Walks to the door and said. "Thank you, guys. It really means a lot to me." He then closes the door.

"Not a bad kid, huh?" Said Malcolm. Pointing his thumb at the door behind him.

"Must be this generation." Replied Portia. "Now stand aside, I'm taking a shower."

"Ever wondered how you won this trip?" Asked Malcolm?

"Before I found out that I was gonna sail with another colleague," she said and enters the bathroom and raised her voice, "I thought I was going alone until Chief announced the second winner, you."

"Well, sorry for troubling you, lady." He said, it didn't sound like sincerity, just sarcasm. "If you need me, I'll be at the cocktail bar."

"Whatever. I was wasn't even gonna get you laid, anyway." She said and turned on the shower. Malcolm heard it clearly, but he left the stateroom and just go. How much credit she would take after publishing the articles? Warned by his colleagues, Portia Matthews will likely take it all. Malcolm sighed and heads towards the elevator to deck 3.

At the bridge on deck 12, the helmsman holding steady the small aluminum wheel, standing and staring ahead, seeing almost as in on top of the world. On a ship. The patient and rather quiet crew operates in good confidence towards one another. Second Officer Greyson silently moves towards the polar bear-man who is now taking charge of the bridge while Captain Whiteford is at his social duties with a couple of passengers. Looking through the binoculars, he was looking at another ship in the distance, the raccoon-man moves a little bit next to him.

"Yes?" First Officer Snowdon responded without Greyson even starting a hello or calling his name. Even sometimes calling him Snowy. The white bear-man's voice was somehow cruel and cold. He wasn't even looking at him, still at forward. Of course, they don't get along well together but they do cooperate one another as experienced officers.

"I guess I was wrong about the storm today, after all, huh?" Greyson said, kind of apologetic and slyly.

"We all make mistakes and sometimes we worry about our safety and everyone onboard." Snowdon said after lowering the binoculars of his forward sight, still not looking back.

"I guess you're right. I can see why you trust Whiteford and all the other crewmen on this ship. I think you can make yourself a great captain one day." He complimented, with a hint of chuckle.

Snowdon finally turns his back to look at Greyson, but the second he realized the raccoon-man already left for his break. _Sneaky coon._ Snowdon thought.

Third Officer Holmes looks at Snowdon with a near confused face. She said, "Did he said something to you?"

"Kind of, I guess." He said.

"Umm, never mind, but I like his compliment!" She added and went back to her post. Snowdon said nothing and returns to his post before Whiteford comes back.

The sea's calmed, but the howling wind stills dominates the entire upper frame of _Poseidon_ while speeding endlessly to the sun setting horizon. Jett ignores the blows and admires the golden disc ahead on the forward observation deck of deck 7 with both hands resting on the railing. This forward part of the ship is the furthest area for passengers to view out forward and closest to the bow which is limited to go any further unless you are a crew member, and also is exposed to every elements of nature. Sylvester wanders by himself and walks through the eight spare, brass-made, propeller blades exhibiting like an art museum, found his son staring at the natural sight. The tip of the mighty bow can be easy noticed by the slight movement of up and down comparing with the horizon. He stands aside next to him and look out the view, in height comparison, Jett is one foot shorter than his father of six feet.

"Great view, huh?" Rycroft said.

"We hardly have a view like this one back home." Said Jett. "We live in the east side of the state."

"That's true. But we do have a sunrise view, don't we?" Smiled Rycroft. The wind wildly hits his face and covers with one hand. "How do you handle this wind?"

"Didn't Mom gave birth on an airplane and named me Jett because of it?" The tiger-boy stated.

His father laughs, "You got me there. I sometimes forget that origin." He clears his throat. "Hey, so, how was your interview today? Stephanie just told me about Bradley and all."

"It was great." He replied. "It went well. I was going to find you and Mom for an advice from you both, but instead, you guys decided to put a 'Do not disturb' sign on the door and have your romantic time together." He stated.

His father blushes and rubs the back of his neck, "Sorry about that."

"Eh, it's alright, you probably needed it anyways." He said. "So I stick with Steph's advice instead. I hope Bradley accepts my apology." And sighed.

"I'm sure he will. I'm glad Stephanie cares a lot about you." Sylvester said. "And so? Who's your new friend you've meet today?" Sylvester smirked.

"Tsk, she's too young for me and not type. Let's leave it that way, okay?" Without being bothered and shying away. Sylvester knew his son well, always conservative. Jett quickly changes the subject. "So, Dad, uh, what are we gonna do this New Year's Eve? I'm expecting a party, but where?" Said Jett.

"You'll see soon enough." Sylvester replied.


	4. Chapter 4: New Year's Eve

Chapter 4: New Year's Eve

December 31st, 2020. The fourth day of the cruise and the last day of the year of this wild planet that had been through a lot with society. Many defining moments took place this year. It is time to move on to the present and the future. Bound to the Island of Hawaii, the MS _Poseidon_ of Royal Trident Lines, 165,000 gross tons, 1,250ft long. A floating city, a spaceship, an marine engineering marvel of the 21st century that celebrates the traditional bygone era of the golden age of ocean liners of the first-half of the 20th century. A maritime tradition that still celebrates today.

Sailing on a winter pleasure cruise to the Aloha State with 2,700 odd passengers of large diversities. One could ever dreamed of this ultimate vacation by traveling in style and luxury. The passengers are excited for tonight's events. So far, countries around the world had already struck midnight and fired up their rockets, the State of Hawaii is still counting down, but _Poseidon_ will start a little ahead.

Musicians and Hawaiian dancers performs for the passengers under the sunshine in the lido deck on deck 13. Traditionally and colorfully dressed with many flowers and swaying their arms smoothly. Later an impersonator of Elvis Presley in blue Hawaiian shirt, steps on the stage with a ukulele and started to sing some classics in front of a microphone. The crowd cheers and picked up their cellphones and record live on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or in WhatsApp accounts and send it to their families and friends back home. This early noon party was just the beginning of the New Year's Eve countdown event. Of course, the countdown clock is not yet placed. So let's enjoy this last day of the year, and tomorrow will be a great day for all the guests onboard.

The young lion-man in red trunks holds two plates of sliced pizza towards another young lioness in a green bikini, resting on a wooden steamer chair and protected with sunglasses. This little sight reminds Red in his lifeguard days and the time he met Gwen there in their college days. Gwen saw her boyfriend (secretly engaged) coming with her pizza. Red place it on the small wooden table between the two long chairs.

"I hope you like it —it's Hawaiian pizza." Red said. With the traditional tomato sauce and cheese, the toppings are Canadian bacon and pineapple, love it or hate it.

"Thanks. But you know, it wasn't invented entirely in Hawaii." Gwen stated.

"I know." Said Red and holds his slice and bites it.

"Good huh?" Gwen smirked.

Chewing, chewing, and swallowed. Red weakly smiled. "It's good!"

"Yeah right!" She laughs.

"Okay, you got me. Not the best pizza." Said Red. "You said 'Surprise me', and I did." And stated.

"Without even trying some before you could've surprise me." She said and takes a bite of her slice. After chewing and swallowing, "It's good! I don't know why people hate pineapple on their pizzas."

"I guess your tongue was an exception." He muttered.

One deck above on deck 14, overlooking the lido deck below where the Hawaiian-themed party is held. Clover wander by herself away from Pricilla and do her walking, feeling a little exited about the party today she clutches on the railing and watches the impersonator on stage. Next to her unexpectedly, Isaac was there. The young human that Pricilla is into.

He casually smiles at her, "Hey, Clover. What's up?"

"Not much." She said with a now pretentious smile. "As much I like the King of Rock-and-roll, there's always a jackass that acts like him to entertain us."

"Pretty much."

"So… did you moved to second base with my cuz?"

"I haven't done anything to her." He replied with a chuckle. "I'm more concerned about you and your cuz."

"Why? This is about me and her. Why you're intervening us?"

"I like Pricilla, but I learned how you two were so close back then." He said. "I see you two are just more than cousins…"

"We're like sisters, I know." The beagle-girl interrupts. "She isn't the big sister that I used to know. After graduating from high school, she changed just to fit in, that's when you and your friends appeared. After she made her circle of friends, I made my own space. My own world. I no longer needed her… until she needed me for the first time! This!" She stated. "You know where fucking the song goes, so I don't wanna play it again."

Isaac was overwhelmed but he saved his reactions from going into somewhere. He places his forearms on the rail and said. "That was something, but the damage is done. You're already on this cruise ship, you accepted it because she was begging you, right?"

"Yeah, so she can be closer to you." She again stated. "I have no problem with inter-species couples, but I'm more concerned about hybridism."

"So, you're still mad at her?" Isaac kept his cool and subject.

"I'm not that mad." Clover claimed.

"If you're not mad, then come with us tonight this New Year's Eve. Pricilla wants to make it up for you." He announced. "Don't be by yourself and sleeping alone tonight."

After a beat of thoughts in her mind, Clover finally spoke, "Fine… I'll go." Isaac was about to say 'great!', but… "But an under condition; Go tell Pricilla to stop making fun of me while hanging with you guys." Isaac nodded. She continues, "And second; one of you will donate me a bed, 'cause I'm not sleeping on another night on that flattened sofa-bed. Deal?" She dares.

Isaac with no hesitations of her request, he accepts it. "Deal." They are not even that threatening anyway. They both shakes hands.

Several decks down to deck 6 at aft. The kids' playing room is filled with joy and laughter. Playing board games, video games, or making arts and crafts. Sasha the shepherd dog-boy plays videos games in multiplayer with other ten-year-olds. Judging their accents, some of these kids must be from different places of the United States or European countries. Cute New York accents, Brooklyn, mid-western, western, or adorable British accents. It's really exploring for Sasha to watch and see people from different nations where he cannot get to. Being on a ship is always welcoming to see people from around the world in one place…

…And also, facing gamers from around the world in one place. Sasha never thought they would beat him in person unlike online gameplay. "Dang! You're really that good?" Sasha exclaimed.

"Years of playing since seven." Said a deer-boy from Canada.

"If you play against the teen kids in a tournament convention, you're so toast!" Sasha said.

"Sasha, your father is here to pick you up." One of the nannies running the facility called.

Sasha turned around and turned back to the other fellow kids playing. "See ya, guys!" He stands up and go right before another kid steps in and hold the game controller. Sasha meets up with his father with a small change in appearance. "Hey, Dad! What's with the hair?"

"Just a haircut for the gala tonight." The older shepherd dog-man said.

"What gala?"

"Come on, I'll tell you on the way." The two leave the facility, walking through the corridor of passenger cabins. "Guess what, we got invited to the captain's table this New Year's Eve. I want you to look sharp for tonight." Said Joshua.

"We're dining with the captain!?" The little pup exclaimed.

"Uh-huh, we're partying in the ballroom tonight." He said. "But first, let's go to our stateroom and video chat with your mother."

"Mom should have been here right now if it wasn't for that business trip." Sasha said.

"I know, son." Joshua replied. The father and son reached the elevator sets and steps in one of them. The door closes after a ding.

On the bridge, Officer Nadir enters the state-of-the-art room with so many complicated-looking technology maned by the crew. Captain Whiteford gave the order to Nadir to take charge the bridge over Officer Snowdon. Once there, the polar bear-man stands there in his post. The husky dog-man noticed that Officer Greyson was there a few feet way. Aware of his silly antics, he'll have to private talk to Snowdon.

"Mr. Snowdon." He approaches.

"Yes?" The white bear-man responded.

"I'll take charge here for now and…" He moves a little closer to him to his ear. In a whisper, "Whiteford wants you at his office." Standing back, Snowdon nodded.

"Nadir, what's going on?" Greyson started with small grin.

"None of your business, Grey." He stated with cold tone.

Snowdon, without a word, retires his post, leaving the bridge and walks directly to Captain's quarters. This is kind of unexpected, what would the skipper wants? Snowdon arrived at the door with the small sign of Captain's Quarters. He knocks the door.

"Come in, Mr. Snowdon." Whiteford voice is heard. No hesitations, Snowdon opens the door casually calm.

"You wanted me to see me, Captain?" He spoke when he spotted the bird-man siting behind his desk.

"Yes, have a seat." Whiteford gestured the seat across. Snowdon moves a few steps and sat down. Removing his cap hat and put it on his lap.

The captain's stateroom is like a common passenger suite stateroom, but has an office. Behind the albatross bird-man's desk and seat is a large floor-to-ceiling bay window with the sea in movement. The desk is rather simple with a few personal items; Two picture frames of his wife and children; One of those typical gyroscopic toy models that moves infinity; A small 1:900 scale replica model of the MS _Amphitrite_ of 1968, an old retired liner of Royal Trident Lines since 2009. It was also Whiteford's first ship to command as captain and sailed on her last voyage before she was sent to the scrappers. Snowdon kept in silence while waiting for Whiteford, organizing his things before starting.

He finished, and stared at Snowdon for a short moment. "When did you started working for Royal Trident, Mr. Snowdon?"

He asked a question, Mr. Snowdon. His eyes blinked, "Uhh, since 2014, sir. I used to work in shipping services in the St. Laurent as seaman before I joined here, eh?" He replied. He couldn't help it but let that dialect go.

"Yes, yes, of course, I remember." The albatross-man stands up from his office chair. "You latter joined the maritime academy in London and made it to where you wanted to be. They've honored you the Seaman of the year." Whiteford said.

"Yes, I've been honored to that." Snowdon said.

"Well, it looks like the line will honor you in a more deserving manner." He pulls his black jacket and drew his feathered hand in, picks an envelope out and extents his arm to him. "Congratulations, Mr. Snowdon." He smiles.

Snowdon picks it, takes a look at the envelope. An official Royal Trident delivery message especially to be sent to Oscar Snowdon. With his sharp claw, he tears it open with his index finger. A single folded paper written by the cruise lines' President's own words. Snowdon carefully reads the message… To his utter surprise, this was definitely unexpected.

"They… they want me onboard the _Oceanus_ as Captain this spring!" Just only his eyes widen, he's holding his emotions. He stands up from his seat. "They've promoted me as captain!" He calmly said, a little loud though. Good thing his tail is short, Whiteford cannot see it wagging.

Whiteford chuckles, "I knew you'd be amazed about it."

"This… This is… This is so… I'm so…" Snowdon is loss of words.

"Tell you what, let's celebrate together this New Year's Eve at the ballroom, my treat." Whiteford announced.

"Th-that'd be great, sir! Thank you."

"My pleasure. Dismissed." They shook hands and just in time for Snowdon's short tail to calm down. He turned away to the door and, "Snowdon."

He turned back to him, "Yes?"

"Happy New Year." He hearty smiled.

Snowdon smiles, "Thank you, sir." He closes the door.

Joshua and Sasha's penthouse suite had just been cleaned recently by a stewardess before the two came back. Clean as always. Joshua fetches his laptop from his suitcase under his bed, placed it on the living room table, unfolding, turns it on, connects the ship's free wi-fi onboard. After a little while, Mrs. Parkinson's online.

"Is this on? Joshua?" A female shepherd appeared on screen with a surprising background of the beach, palm trees, beachgoers and surfers.

"Aloha, Claire. How's in Honolulu?"

"Hilo, actually."

"Hi, Mom!" Sasha popped out next to his father.

"Hi, Sasha, how you two been doing?"

"Mom, this ship is amazing! There's like five pools, a rock-climbing wall, lots of food, a magician, and we even took a tour at the engine room!" Sasha enthusiastically said.

"It seems you two are having fun." She said.

"Sure we do." Joshua smiled.

"Well, I just want to tell you both to have a wonderful Happy New Year. I know I won't be with spending it with you two tonight, but I hope you have fun together." She said.

"Same to you, Claire –Happy New Year." Joshua said until he noticed Sasha already left for the bathroom.

"Where he go?" Claire asked.

"Nature calls." Joshua stated.

"You haven't said a word to Sasha about it, have you?" She suddenly said.

"Uh, no. Not yet." Joshua replied. "Do you want to tell him now?"

"No, not now. We'll tell him when you two get here." She said.

Not long, Sasha came back from the bathroom and sits next to his father. "Um, Sasha, stay for a little while with your mom, okay?" Joshua said and stands up from the couch. Before entering the bathroom he glimpses at his son talking happily with his mother at the other end. _When will I tell him?_ Parkinson thought.

The Grand Ballroom is at its preparations for the New Year's Eve event. Located right above the Grand Dining Room, this hidden-like room taking the entire width of the ship of 140 is only for Silver and Golden Card members and to get there is by entering the ballroom's entrance foyer on deck 7, 6 and 5 which consist of staircases to lead you down to the grand entrance of the large room. Rising three decks high of deck 4, 5, and 6 at mid-aft with just occupying two levels; the lower lever which has the multiples tables of different sizes: circulars on the center and squares on both port and starboard sides. It has two tall Christmas trees on each side of the stage; one is red for port (left) and other is green for starboard (right). And as a ballroom, it has a large dance floor for the guess and performers under the crystal chandeliers and glass cover skylight. While the second level of deck six which overlooks above the vast room, it has six tables of poker, three on each side, for the fellow gamblers onboard. On top of it all, two twin elegant staircases gives the grand welcoming of the guests.

Aubrey Quinlivan stands on stage rehearsing for the evening party with other several musicians practicing on stage. Sidney and Foxley watches the horse-woman while they were decorating the tables: table cloths, utensils, plates, glass cups, napkins, etc.

"Must say, Aubrey is getting better." Sidney said. Then he saw the rabbit-woman coming down in a hurry.

"Where are the student orchestra band, they suppose to be rehearsing here." Miss Blake mutters.

"Miss Blake, I heard they were at the theater." Foxley said. "Mr. Collins told them they can practice there." He added.

"Is that true? Well, thank you, Foxley."

"Miss Blake, uh, where are you gonna be this evening?" Sidney asked.

"I'll be hosting at the promenade hall on deck 2. Your friend Lani will be there performing." She said.

"Damn, I would look forward to see her." Said Sidney.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jennings, but we all have a job to do." Stated Joyce and left.

Sidney turned to the fox-man. "Hey, I've hear Kacy will be serving at the disco lounge. Why they changed her to there?"

"Mr. Peters is badly ill, so Chief sent Miss Fullerton to take his place."

"Ah, I see. She'll have one wild night there." Smiled Jennings. The two stewards chuckled.

Rico Marrero's ocean view stateroom on deck 5 is barely touched by just a solo traveler. The stateroom's single window is covered with curtains. Tired, regretted, not motivated to write a review about the islands nor the ship. The young Hispanic haven't left his stateroom for almost a day. He did have left a few times for breakfast and lunch. Now that diner time will arrive, he would just go again to the buffet restaurant on deck 12. He really wished his little cousin could have come onboard and cheer him up after his lover left him alone this New Year's Eve. What can he do?

The cabin's door knocks, despite that Rico put a 'Do not disturb' sign on the door knob. It could be one of the stewards who will inform him about his next flight from Hilo to New York. He have to figure it out. He stands from his bed, stretches his back, and put some robe on. Through the peephole, he sees a wolf-man waiting. He wonders and opens the door.

"Good afternoon, Rico. How's it going?" Ryder Wolfson greeted. Rico noticed what's looks like he's holding a formal white tux with a clothe hanger covered in transparent sheet.

"Hey, Wolfson, just enjoying my trip." A hint of sarcasm was heard.

"Listen, me and Kale will be at the ballroom tonight and we were wondering if you'd like to come with us. How's that sound?" After short beat of silence. Rico felt rather unsecured, unsure, or being a bother to them. Ryder started, "Come on, Rico, this is the last day of the year and you're going to spend it on loneliness?"

Rico sighed, "You're a good friend, aren't you, Ryder?" He said. "I can see why you won Summers' heart like that. Hah… I guess I should enjoy my bachelorhood while it last before I could move on. There's nothing more I can do about Clara anymore. Not even Tiago." He looks down his crossed arms. After another sigh, he then looks at him. "I'll go, thanks for the offer, Ryder."

"Really? Great! No problem, Rico, just thought I could do something in return after being your best customer." Ryder smiled.

"I guess I can accept your offer." Rico sightly smiled, he looks at the protected tux. "What's with the tux?" Curiously asked.

"Ah, I rented it for Kale to wear it." He replied.

"He didn't brought his own?"

"He does, but I wanted him to wear this one for tonight."

"I see… Well, I'll see you then." Rico said and closed the door.

"Well, that was easy." Said Ryder to himself. "I think."

The sea weather is getting calmer to flatten and the wind getting lighter. Which the passengers were surprised to see the orange ocean like a mirror, a strange ultimate mirage phenomenon to ever been seen before and the sun is making it more dramatically beautiful for the sightseers. The ever last sunset of 2020 to be witness at sea. In the master suite stateroom on deck 12. The two lion couple stay in the living room watching a romantic movie together with Red's left arm around Gwen's shoulders. The movie just ended with its credits rolling.

"You know, this movie is giving me the idea to tell your dad about our proposal." Said Red.

Gwen sighed, "What's your plan?"

"Tell me: When?" Red stated, he moves more closely to her. "I feel a little impatient. Come on, it's New Year's Eve! This is a great day to tell your father."

"Just please, I'll figure it out." Gwen frowned.

The stateroom's door opens, both lions separate from each other when Mr. Kershaw steps in. "Hey, kids, how we doing?"

"We're good." Said Red and rest his left leg on the other knee.

"I hope I didn't interrupted anything."

"It's alright, sir, you didn't startled us." Red assured.

Kershaw walks into the minibar and picks some bottles for a small cocktail. "Russell, do you think it's possible to stop calling me 'sir'? I really feel old when you do that." Lionel said.

"Sure, no problem, Mr. Kershaw." Simple as that.

"You know, I thought we had an agreement here?"

"Oh please, Dad, we're just sitting. People sit." Gwen said.

"Look, honey, I'm not trying to give you guys a hard time, but we have discussed this, you know? Technically, you're still under my roof and sometimes I don't feel comfortable with the two of you in here…"

"Dad, please stop." Gwen interrupts. "Have you seen the size of this cruiser? Don't you think we could find a zillion places to do that thing you think we wanna do if we wanted?"

"Gwendolyn, I'm simply saying…"

"Dad, I'm tired of your patronizing tone… I'm really over it." She stated and walks to the other door to her bedroom. Slamming the door shut.

Red just stand there with a light whistle. Kershaw starts, "Russell, have she ever treated you like this?"

"A few times." Red widely grinned of nervousness.

The orange sea turns to dark-blue this evening, countless of stars bright the night along with the moon. Passengers spends the early evening in other activities, watching talent show, gambling, live music in the jazz club lounge, or shopping in the promenade hall on deck 2. The passengers and crew prepares for one great night to remember. The Rycrofts are tidying things up in their stateroom before going to dinner.

"Jett, can you help me with the zipper on my back?" Stephanie asked while adding a white silk ribbon bow on the back of her hair to match her knee-length white dress.

"I'm busy, Steph." Jett replied. He's still can't figure how to tie a necktie. "Mom, can you help Steph to zipper her?" Jett called out.

"Coming." Said Carolyn in a black and gold dress. "Sylvester, can you help Jett fix his tie?"

"Sure do." Replied Rycroft. "Seriously, son, you should really learn how to tie this."

"It's not easy from where I see." Said Jett.

"I'm surprised we're sitting on the captain's table this evening." Said Carolyn and zipped Stephanie's dress.

"I bet he's just wants an autograph from Jett." Stephanie joked.

"Can we go now?" Jett moaned.

"Are we all ready?" Sylvester said. "Let's get going. The party starts at eight." The four of them left the stateroom to the elevators to deck seven at the foyer.

Few decks down to deck 6 aft, once again the deck is almost deserted at night except for Ryder and Kale with one shiny silver vase. At the very end of the ship's stern. Following Kale's grandfather's will: releasing some ashes into the Pacific Ocean. The two together said a few words before they could begin. Awkward for Ryder because he never met him.

"Are you ready?" The wolf-man said. Kale nodded. With a small shovel he picks some of his grandfather's ashes from the urn and the wind blows it away.

"Feeling proud?" Said Ryder.

"It feels great." Said Kale. "I've never done this before though."

"Never? Then who were the ones who've done this?"

"Mostly my father, he travels more often than I have. He covered most of my grandfather's will." Kale stated.

"Huh… Well, let's go –time to celebrate." Kale smiles and the pair went back inside.

The ballroom is packed up. Guests were guided to their respective tables. Stewards took action in taking orders. The kitchen in full steam. And to keep the guest busy, an orchestra band from a university in Los Angeles plays on stage, crewmen staff dancers dressed in Victorian customs with masks doing the waltz on the dance floor, each one paired with a partner, everyone spinning at the same rhythm. These students playing are really talented thanks to their conductor professor of music class.

The diners listen and watch silently. Sasha yawns at this, "This is boring, Dad." His father then shushed him. They were among who were invited by the captain on his table. Also were the Rycrofts, and Mr. Kershaw once again, Captain Whiteford himself and First Officer Snowdon who is joining tonight, and other fellow passengers. Two empty seats were left in the 12-seat table, the couple have their own plans this evening.

Other neighboring tables were also Portia Matthews and her colleague, Malcolm Robertson with Security Officer Thomas Furlong who's off duty tonight. Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell at another table at near port side with other diners with Hotel Manager Nicolas Collins and Dr. Daxner. Ricardo Marrero made it to the invite of Wolfson and Summers this evening party.

The orchestra band ends their last symphony with the dancers pausing their last artistic pose of holding their partner, the diners applauded their grandeur performance. The dancers bowed at their audience and leave gracefully to the twin staircases and waving. The albatross bird-man steps on stage and picks the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, a big round of applause for Professor Tanner and its pupils of Los Angeles Waterfront University." The audience thundered in ovation. The conductor and his students stand up and bow forward. After the claps, Whiteford continues, "Well, good evening ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. I'm Captain Whiteford speaking from the bridge or ought to say the stage." The guests laughed. "Before we could start, I would like to say a few words this evening. In Greek mythology, the ocean has been the cradle of rebirth. Since man emerged from these salty depths we have looked to water as a chance to begin anew. Poseidon… was the god of the sea. He made his home on the ocean floor in a palace of coral and gems. When he was in a good mood, Poseidon created new lands and calmed seas for clear sailing. And so, what better way to celebrate the birth of a new year than borne on the back of the old fellow himself? May you all have clear sailing in the new year and all the years to come." After finishing, guests cheer and applauded. Then up-tempo music started to play. "Ladies and gentlemen, the incomparable… Aubrey!" Whiteford extends his arm and gesturing to the coming singer walking on stage. The brown horse-woman in a sparkling light-blue gown takes over the stage and started to do her job. The empty dance floor quickly started to fill up, everybody started up the mood. The party had just begun.

"Come on, Stephanie! Let's dance!" Sasha cried. Taking Stephanie's hand and jumping.

"Ah! Sasha, wait!" Cried Stephanie.

Just in time for Jett to grab his unoccupied hand. "Go easy on her, she has a boyfriend." Jett smirked. The little dog-boy gave him a mocking tongue in response. The two then disappears in the dancing crowd.

Sylvester laughs, "Your boy is quite the ladies man, doesn't it, Mr. Parkinson?"

Joshua tried to keep it together, "Yeah, I believe he got it from my genes when I used to lure my Claire back in my youth. Still amazes me, actually."

"About Mrs. Parkinson," Carolyn started, "what she do for business?"

"Unlike me, she's co-owner of Aquatic Boutique. She's in Hilo for an opening of a new shop there."

"Aquatic Boutique? That's my daughter's favorite store?"

"Oh yes, they were aiming for young teens alike." Joshua added.

Jett starred at the tall lion-man almost across the rounded table, "Excuse me, sir, by any chance you're Lionel Kershaw? World's greatest firefighter?" Jett asked.

Lionel slightly smiles, "You're looking the right lion, young man."

"So, you are the famous Kershaw. Last time I've heard from you; you were mayor of San Fransisco." Parkinson said.

"Correct, but I'm now retired." Said Kershaw.

"Are you traveling alone, Mr. Kershaw?" Asked Carolyn.

"No, I'm with my daughter and her boyfriend." He replied. "We're just taking a family vacation like you and your kids." Just then Gwen and Red walks towards him. The two aren't wearing anything formal; Gwen in a low collard red shirt and gray skinny pants; and Red in black long-sleeved turtle neck shirt under his black blazer and black jeans. "And speaking of the devil, here they come."

"Hi, Dad. We'll be at the disco place."

"All right, sweetie, have fun…" He lowers his voice, "And please, one more button, okay?"

"The twins? Dad."

"Please?" She obeyed and fix one unbuttoned button.

"Come on, Red, let's go."

The first spicy song ends and the audience cheers and claps, Aubrey speak with the mic, "Ladies and gentlemen, pick up your partner. We're slowing it down. This song got me to the semifinals." The musicians begins to play the next song and the guests huddles closer with their partners, more people are entering in the wooden floor.

Sylvester stands up from his seat and hands his hand to her. "Come here, Carolyn, I know you want to." He said. She smiles and holds his hand and the two went on to the crowd. Leaving Jett alone with the other uninterested diners, he's still waiting for his steak he ordered a while ago.

Stephanie, who is dancing with Sasha, due to his small stature, he's holding the tiger-girl a little rather uncomfortable; his left hand with her hand, but his right hand is not even near on her waist. "What's wrong, Sasha?" Stephanie asked, he was moving uncomfortable.

"I gotta go. Where's the restroom?" He said.

"The restrooms are on the second floor. Take the stairs. Men's room on your left." Stephanie pointed at the forward stairs. Without wasting seconds, Sasha marches directly to the grand staircase to the upper deck. Leaving Stephanie alone on the dance floor. Like Cinderella, but instead, it's the prince who leaves her. With her boyfriend Kent in the Bahamas and she's also on the holidays with her family to Hawaii, there are times that she wants to spend the holidays with her new love interest. It's her first boyfriend and all. They have meet just this single semester and she wants to see him more often as possible. Earlier, she received a message from him in WhatsApp, granting her with best wishes to her and family this New Year's Eve and Nassau had just struck midnight before them. That was really nice of him.

"I see your little partner is having a bathroom break." Said a voice. Just close to her, the polar bear-man came to her with a lending hand. "First Officer Snowdon at your service."

"Sure." She smiles and accepted the offer. She had to admit, it's better than dancing someone under her size. And this one was more prince-like.

"It seemed Stephanie has now a better partner." Sylvester said, continuing slow dancing with Carolyn, in a more romantic manner.

"I actually danced, like, seven boys at the prom back in my high school years." Carolyn said. "I was like the 'backup dancer'." She smiles lovely at Sylvester. "Until you came in the spotlight, and you kindly take me under the lights."

Now Rycroft is blushing, "Oh, you…"

"And you said those three magic words." The tiger-woman leans her head closer to him. "I wanna hear it…" She whispers.

"Say what? Anybody can say 'I love you'."

"Then why you wouldn't say it?"

"It's sounds so corny."

"Oh… Please…?" She please.

"Then I rather show you." He smirkily said, he purrs and nuzzles under her neck, tickling her. Carolyn giggles.

"Oh, how romantic." Said Portia as she was watching the other slow dancers, she's wearing a silk green gown. "This boat is like the _Pacific Princess_ with lots of champagne in one night."

"And you couldn't even get yourself a date tonight." Added Malcolm.

"Humph, it's not my fault that I have to cover my next articles." The blonde woman said. "Besides, there's still a long way. We have, like, two weeks of vacation?"

"Better work fast then. Most of our colleagues already have dates this year."

The two-deck high promenade hall on deck 2 has begun the countdown. A billboard sign with the numbers dropping to zero is placed for everyone can see. Adjacent to the atrium at forward, the entire area is filled to the excitement. The cruise director, as their host of this evening, she stands on a small stage near the tall statue in her dark-blue dress with her name tag on her left, picks up the mic and fearlessly face the vast audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Welcome and welcome to all. This is your cruise director, Joyce Blake. And on behalf of the entire Royal Trident family. We are so glad that you all made it to come and celebrate this extraordinary planet with us this New Year's Eve. Tomorrow, we'll literally start the new year in paradise and style." She said. "Haven't you all thought about that?" The crowd cheered wildly. "To begin this event before the countdown strikes at midnight. We'd like to give our guests a piece of Hawaiian culture before we arrive at the big island." Native music started to play. "Happy New Year, everyone!"

The dancing group appeared at both side from the atrium and met together at entering the hall like a festival parade. The natives sings their language with arms raised in the air as in a tradition of their gods. Following men juggling with fire sticks and one boar-man exhaling fire through it. Lani dances through the parade with many onlookers from the second level of the hall taking pictures cheering with smiles and laughter.

On deck 3 at mid-ship, the disco lounge is running wild like a nocturnal jungle. The dance floor is lighted with colors by sweeping lights and the iconic disco ball shines the entire set. The DJ player, a black jaguar-man painted in fluorescent colors on his fur behind the professional equipment, playing and keeping the music wild.

The ship's magician, Floyd Archer steps on the lounge, looking just sharp as always is. Hitting on the bar area and sights the entire place. "Not bad for a celebration. This is how they want to end their year." He said to himself. Then saw Kacy the waitress. "Yo, Kacy! Martini, okay?"

"Coming right up!" She replied, but she already has a tray with two drinks for the pair nearby. She walks steadily with her mid-high heel shoes of her waitress uniform, not minding the ship's slight movements. Arriving at the pair of lions on the two-seat table, "Here you go, one mojito and one tropical sunrise. Enjoy."

"Thank you, miss." Said Gwen. The Caucasian waitress quickly left them and back to her next order.

"How did Peters handle this much crowd?" She muttered to herself.

"Gwen, have you thought of wearing it?" Red said.

"The ring? I don't have the courage to wear it." Gwen replied.

"Then wear it now. Later, we can announce your father our proposal together." Red said. "How about it? You really need to chill out." Gwen smiles and holds his hand.

The booth tables were fully occupied like VIP reserves. Luckily for the youngsters of seven: Spencer (the bear-man), Christine (the human-girl), Royce (the lynx-man), Isaac (the human-boy), Megan (the cheetah), Pricilla and Clover (the beagle-girls) has one booth for their farewell of the old year. The guys are wearing flashy while the girls looking informally hot. This could be Clover's first time getting out of her shell since for a long time.

"So, Spencer," Megan started, "when we get to Hawaii, what are we gonna do there?"

"At Hilo, we'll be taking a tour to the National Park. We're exploring volcanoes and caves and stuff!" Said Spencer.

"That sounds pretty scary." Said Christine.

"We're not actually seeing lava up close, Christine. We're taking in a more relaxing and explorative way." Assured Isaac.

"This would be better than seeing pine trees in Rhode Island." Said Pricilla. "What do you think, Clover?"

"Green, biodiversity, close to nature? I'm in…" Clover shrugged. No longer mad, no longer distance nor cold. She's releasing well.

"Hey, guys, let's crank up tonight!" Royce cried and drank his whole drink. "Come on, Megan!" He picks her up from her seat.

"Wait! I haven't finished my drink!" Megan cried. Too late and Royce already placed her on the crowded floor.

Back at the ballroom, the music get louder to dance in places around the floor. The cheers and laughters cannot be stopped. Jennings, Foxley and other stewards stopped by in every table to handle New Year's Eve hats and plastic sparkling tiaras to their diners, and small confetti cannons. Midnight it's coming around the corner. A greened-scaled dragon-man steward handles a tiara to Mrs. Maxwell, and Killian a black plastic top hat.

"Well, thank you." The cat-woman smiled and put it on. "How do I look?" To Killian.

"You look sparkling tonight." Maxwell said and puts his plastic top hat on.

"Mrs. Maxwell, I see you have made a full recovery today." Said Dr. Daxner.

"Oh yes, thanks to you." She said.

"I'm sorry about the other day, I'm was just worried about her." Killian declared.

"It's all right, Mr. Maxwell." Said Daxner. "I apology accepted."

"Good thing it wasn't the norovirus." Said Mr. Collins.

At another table, Rico is having fun for the first time since boarding. He really is glad he was invited by Ryder and Kale to assist the event. Like he said before, "Better enjoy my bachelorhood while it last." Earlier his cousin sent him a message from his home country that it struck midnight, he then told him he have to wait until his turn. The three fellow diners in their best tuxedos. Rico curiously asked about their jobs and hobbies, then they both asked about him which was kind of interesting.

"At 23, I started working as travel agent." Said Rico. "So I've been traveling on many cruises around and sailing on the newest ships introduced and write a review about it, best part of my job. I have so many followers."

"You've travel a lot? How many cruises you've been?" Asked Kale.

"I don't know, I lost counting after 15." He stated.

"What matters is that you really been seeing the whole world before you die, right, Rico?" Said Ryder.

"Yeah, that's right." He grinned and take a sip of his drink, no more alcohol for him tonight.

"Rico, are you really leaving when we arrive at Hilo?" Ryder asked.

"Why you're asking? You guys don't need me while traveling."

"You've been behaving like yourself since you came here." Said Ryder. "Just now. Here. I guess you are too easy to live on. I think you were just exaggerating." All of this was courtesy of Kale Summers as psychologist.

Rico looked down his glass of soft drink, "I guess I have exaggerated." After a beat, he sighed. "Tell you what…? I'll tell you my decision before we come to Hilo. Am I clear?"

"Sure, have it your way." Said Ryder.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We have 20 minutes before midnight!" Declared Aubrey on stage. The entire crowd in the ballroom wildly cried.


	5. Chapter 5: Watership Down

Chapter 5: Watership Down

The horizon is nearly visible with the moon shinning the dark-blue, glass-like sea. The natural planetarium in the skies is ten times amazing to see in person. Away from the rustling and bustling cities' skylines obstructing the natural night light. The _Poseidon_ transpacific liner is still miles away from shore until arriving the sixth day of her journey. Chief Officer Nadir is in charge of the bridge at this time, he patiently, routinely check the ship's radar. He didn't mean to bother Officer Seabridge every time he checks on it. Still as always on the screen: clear, in their middle of nowhere with a few ships close by. The closest ship is over 80 miles away. And in a few more miles the _Poseidon_ will soon pass the Tropic of Cancer in three or five hours after midnight. The interior of the bridge is rather dimly dark for better view outside forward and both sides. The crew is calm and confident, but not in the mood for New Year's Eve celebration.

" _Should all acquaintances be for…_ " Second Officer Greyson was signing but was then shushed and glared.

"Quiet, Grey, please." Shushed Chief Officer Nadir. "Kennedy, report." The husky dog-man asked the Sixth Officer, a brown-haired human officer.

"Chief, the cargo ship _Southern Tropic_ , is reporting a series of swells coming from the southeast." Announced Kennedy. After listening, Nadir slowly walks to the port side wing, staring at nowhere in front of the glass window, mostly darkness. And stars. "Sir?" Kennedy asked.

He turned back to the crew, specifically to Kennedy. "Give me the latest status, Kennedy, I want to be sure." He said. The second highest rank on the ship, still have the captain's license, Hunter Nadir could have never been wrong in his 34 years of his career. "Seabridge, radar!" He asked the seagull bird-man.

"Clear as always, sir. No trucks around." Seabridge announced.

"Shore, the weather!" Nadir asked the penguin-man fourth officer.

"Wind: 2 miles per hour. The sea: flat as a mill pond." Reginald Shore reported. "Never in my life have I ever seen such a calm ocean like this, sir."

"Chief, I have a full report from the _Southern Tropic_ 's weather condition." Kennedy announced.

"Put it on speaker." He ordered. After a beep, " _Southern Tropic,_ this is Chief Officer Nadir of MS _Poseidon_. Can you give me information of a series of swells from the southeast? Over."

A static followed, " _This is_ Southern Tropic _. Swells are over 20 feet tall, maximum as 30 feet. Coast Guard and Hilo Seismographic Station are not reporting any subsea earthquakes anywhere on the open. We're over 80 miles from your position at southeast. One wave struck our cargo container and we're immediately changing our course. Over."_

"Any assistance needed? Over." Asked Nadir.

" _Negative. We're sailing at our own power. We'll be all right. Over_." The _Southern Tropic_ replied.

Hearing enough, Nadir said, "This is _Poseidon_. Thank you for your information. Out." He turns to Third Officer Holmes, "We all battened down, Mrs. Holmes?"

"Tight as a button, sir." Said Holmes.

Five minutes left for midnight. The guest are getting excited for this grand moment, tension is getting high. Some icemen placed an ice sculpture in the middle of captain's table which Carolyn quickly identifies it as the one being displayed in the atrium. "So, that's the deity this ship is named after, huh?"

"That's right, Mrs. Rycroft." Said Captain Whiteford. "The Greek God Poseidon. Also God of storms, tempest, earthquakes and other miscellaneous natural disasters. Quite an ill-tempered fellow." Since 1932, the line has been naming their ships after Greek gods and goddesses. Historically speaking, _Poseidon_ is the third ship of Royal Trident to bear the name. First one launched in 1935 as an ocean liner; the second in 1975 as a cruise ship; and now the third, one magnificent ocean liner carrying the legacy for many years to come. Captain Whiteford glances his watch: four minutes to go. "Will you all excuse me? Duty calls. Mr. Rycroft, will you take charge of my table?"

"Sure do, Captain." Said Sylvester. "It's all on me!" He jokingly raised his cup to everyone and the fellow diners laughed.

"Oh, you…" Carolyn responded.

"Sasha, where's your hat?" Joshua asked.

Before Sasha could reply, Jennings quickly arrive on time with a hat, "Here you go, young man! And here's a party horn!"

"Thank you, sir!" Sasha said and the steward left in a swift to the kitchen with his colleagues.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Your attention, please!" Captain Whiteford on stage announced. "It's two minutes for midnight!" The crowd finally cheered and clapped, it's about time. "All please stand and fill your glasses!" Some hurriedly went back to their tables and prepare before going back to the dance floor. Everyone wearing silly hats and tiaras, holding confetti cannons and streamers.

"Jett, it's almost midnight, get up!" Stephanie started, but Jett's reply is blowing the small party horn and raspberry her the long colorful paper roll like a snake's tongue. "Oh, you…" She glared.

Removing the whistle, "Can you take a joke?" Jett said.

On the other table, "You guys ready?" Rico asked.

"We're ready, baby!" Ryder cried. A stewardess quickly fills everyone's cups.

"Don't be by yourself, Marrero. Stand next to us." Kale said.

"Pues claro." He said.

Whilst at the other table, "Here we go, Malcolm! One last toast! Let's get rid of this blasted old year!" Portia said.

"You can say that again." Malcolm said.

Everyone on the promenade hall and atrium on deck 2 and others overlooking on deck 3 are gathered up and screaming, cheering ecstatically while watching the billboard sign counting down to zero; "One minute!" Cried Miss Blake.

The disco lounge is the same as everyone onboard, a lot of tension going on. Ready to welcome the birth of the New Year. The youngsters quickly filled their drinks of champagne to even spill it on their hands.

"Careful, Spencer! You're spilling." Megan cried.

"Sorry, sorry! Everyone filled up?"

"Yeah!" They replied.

"I'm good." Said Clover with her non-alcohol drink.

Back in the filled ballroom, the cheers are getting fuller than ever, Captain Whiteford started to shout, "Fifteen second! Fourteen…"

" _THIRTEEN!_ " Everyone followed! Chanting.

" _TWELVE!"_

" _ELEVEN!"_

" _TEN!"_

" _NINE!"_

" _EIGHT!"_

" _SEVEN!"_

" _SIX!"_

" _FIVE!"_

" _FOUR!"_

" _THREE!"_

" _TWO!"_

" _ONE!"_

From a bird's eye view, the liner blares her horn out the open. Welcoming the New Year: 2021. " _HAPPY NEW YEAR!_ " The entire ship cried of happiness. Confetti, streamers, gold and silver balloons released from the nets on the ceiling raining lightly down to the ground. Glass cups with champagne striking one another continuously. Countless cheers, whistling, kissing, hugs, and hand shakes spread in seconds. The biggest emotion of happiness, the biggest moment to move on the New Year is here, right now, this is the new beginning. The unforeseen futures are just ahead.

Aubrey, Whiteford, and Snowdon cheers with glasses together and happy new year to one another. Sylvester and Carolyn kissed under their funny hats. Same for the Maxwells too. Ricardo hand shakes or hugs his fellow friends and saying it in Spanish, "Feliz Año Nuevo!" Kale and Ryder kissed with not even a care in the whole world. Sasha jumps to his father and hugs him. The stewards and kitchen staff privately celebrate their little brake with champagne on their glasses and cheering the continuing phrase "Happy New Year". The crowd in the promenade hall felt the same way, filming live on their social media accounts and sent it to their families and friends. Same for the disco lounge as Pricilla and her friends sent their short Happy New Year message video to their families back home, wishing for a happy time and many more years to come. Russell and Gwen takes selfies of them kissing with the entire crowd on the dance floor behind them. Aubrey started to sing Auld Lang Syne and the entire crowd in the ballroom followed the lyrics together. This is definitely the best night of everyone's lives on this big cruise!

On the bridge, quiet from the party going on. They know is already midnight. "Happy New Year, everyone." Declared Officer Nadir.

"Thank you, sir, same to you." Said Greyson.

"Nadir, there's something appearing on the radar." Mr. Seabridge announced. The husky dog-man walks to the radar screen with Officer Seabridge. Inspecting it, a long strange crescentic, faded-looking curve line is moving at unusual speed. "Is it some kind of glitch on the machine, sir?" The seagull-man officer asked.

"I'll go and check. Greyson, get the binoculars and take a sharp look at the port side wing." Ordered Nadir.

"Yes, sir." Greyson fetch one and quickly moves from the center to the port side wing. Placing the pair of binoculars in front of his face on top of his muzzle and adjusting the lenses for his sight.

Not too long, Officer Kennedy receives a call on the radio, he startles by the loud monotonic but panicking voice. " _Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! This is the_ Southern Tropic _calling!_ Poseidon _! Please! We're declaring an emergency!"_ Following a loud bang, screeching, crashes, then disturbance of screaming men, and static was left hearing.

" _Southern Tropic_! Can you read me? Over." Nothing came. The crew on the bridge heard it too, but are now waiting for an order from Hunter Nadir. What to do next?

"Oh, my god…" Greyson said, taking off the binoculars from his sight. "Shit…" He grumbles, turning back to reality and started to shout to Nadir. "Large wave off the port bow!"

"Hard to port! All engines full astern now!" Nadir shouted all the top of his lungs. The helmsman take action and spins the wheel to the left. "Bow thrusters! Full to port now!" Nadir turns to Officer Kennedy, "Kennedy! Send a mayday!"

Kennedy grabbed the speaker, pressed the button and inhaled, "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! This the MS _Poseidon_!" He lets out the latitude and longitude location to any ship or shore to whoever answers.

Nadir turns to Holmes, "Holmes! Sound the general alarm!"

"Sounding general alarm!" She pressed the red emergency button without hesitations.

The ship slowly turns to the left. Pushing at full speed to port. With her propeller pods and bow thrusters at full capacity, the sudden movement caused a slight unnoticeable list to starboard. The freak nature of water is spreading at incredible speed, pilling up with another wave forward, curving up, strengthening, rising higher over the horizon, and getting dangerously closer to the ship.

The ship's music gets harshly interrupted by a loud, familiar, learned alarm. Passenger and crew quieted down abruptly of the unexpected. People looks around in confusion until a second later Third Officer Holmes's voice appears, " _All crew, report to your emergency stations immediately. This is not a drill —I repeat: This is not a drill. All passengers, brace for immediate and heavy rolls_." The voice runs through out the interior.

Confusion, panic, and calamity emerges. The crowd on the promenade hall start to run about on what to do. The rabbit-woman director quickly took the microphone and said, "Please, don't panic! Passengers, brace yourselves!" But too impossible to achieve.

The muted disco lounge is having a horde of escaping stampedes to the two only exits of the lounge. Isaac screamed to his friends to take cover while Russell and Gwen got themselves lost into the rushing crowd, calling each other's names with no sight of one of them to be seen. People on the ballroom are scamping away to the exits of the giant room. Captain Whiteford himself speechless while Snowdon tried to settle the panicking people. Sylvester Rycroft orders his family to be close together and hold on the table tight whilst Kershaw do the same. Sasha's innocence breaks apart and tears leaking out of his bright puppy eyes while his father is holding him for comfort and security-ness. Rico stood there and lost sight of Ryder and Kale, they were nowhere to be seen, he decides to make a run for his life. Zoey looked closer to one of the windows and saw the tides blocking the trillion of stars in the picture until she manage to make up what it was, she immediately takes her husband's hand and drags him through the escaping crowd.

" _Fire, life and safety crews, proceed to your muster stations immediately. This is not a drill_." Continued Officer Holmes.

The roaring wall of water is approaching, over eclipsing the giant liner. The crew on the bridge were almost petrified by the awesome power of water up curling over them. Nadir hoped to face the wave head on to avoid major damage, but the liner didn't turned around enough to face it. Officer Kennedy continued to send an SOS and Officer Holmes shouted on the microphone announcement, "Brace for impact! It's going to hit!"

The gigantic, up curling, wave created by the oceans' nature phenomenon slams the ship with force to enough to roll it. Roaring, gushing water attacking her superstructure of balconies, flooding instantly, destroying everything in its path. The ship heavily groaned. The bridge tilts aggressively, throwing off the crew off their feet, yelling and screaming, crashing the complicated equipment, holding onto anything or sliding down to starboard. The mass crowd on the promenade hall felt a sudden, violent force. Falling down the stairs, flying over the railings to a resulting thud. Smashing themselves into glass before they realized they're falling by a deck above. Rolling, wheeling, and cartwheeling down. The tensing force pushes couches, tables and chairs and along with people with unintentional relocations in a harsh way. Screaming, high-pitched, yelling, was their answers of their agony and calamity.

The giant ballroom topples to starboard, people being catapulted from their feet and fall to the carpeted floor, pushing one another in the same direction. Aubrey, Snowdon and Whiteford loses their foot and fall off the stage with the musicians hitting one another into a pile, dropping their instruments when the Steinway piano uncontrollably slides out of the stage. Rico got pushed and crashed on top of a table with utensil and China on his back, cartwheeling down and pulling off the table cloth and hits a red-haired woman. The crowd sweeps off and slipping the dance floor that a screaming Zoey scratches intensely with her nail claws, leaving a trail of torture and mutilation on the floor as Killian goes after her. Portia screams for help, being dragged by piles of people under her. Carolyn screams when her husband is being sweep by chairs and people, she holds onto the lion-man and the two embraced, rolled on top the table off to starboard. A bird-woman grabs Joshua's jacket and disappears, Sasha screams and let go off the table and Jett swiftly let go and embrace him, Stephanie screams watching her family sliding away. People holds on the bolted tables and watching everything being swept clean.

The outside pools sloshes out violently and washed off the terrified pool-goers. The disco caught everyone by surprise when a girder with lights snaps its cables and causing explosive sparks, falls apart and tramples many people on its path, jumping, dodging from being caught it heavily dragged almost every one in the inverting lounge. Russell holds on to the bar, watching the wild agony sight from behind him. Security cameras captures every horrific graphic sight with no audio on every fixed angle on the ship, like being dragged by invisibles demons themselves, taking them into the unknown.

The port side cargo crane breaks lose, swings to starboard, crashing rows of bay windows into the library lounge, wrecking it, embedding it. In the Kitchen, glass shattering and breaking crockery, bounding and rebounding to every cook thudding on the bulkhead before sharp utensils rain down upon them. Foxley hangs on the fixed table but let's go before he could be crushed by a heavy refrigerator, falling in to the service door, sparing him. People on the second level falls from the port side balconies overlooking the ballroom —hitting hard on the floor or tables with breaking results. Engineers struggles to hold on in the engine room, but catwalks's bases rips loose, spilling a few men into the air before landing on the hot surface engines. The monster wave splashes the entire frame of the ship, moaning, groaning, and tortured like a dying leviathan in defeat. Cascading all over her superstructure, sparing her two tall resisting funnels until it simultaneously, with along the ship's starboard side, crashing underwater with spectacular waterworks. The indoor pool's glass covered ceiling shatters with explosive watery, attacking the trapped ones. A blow of breach breaks out into the bridge, sending the crew with powerful jets of white cold water through the entire width of the bridge, flooding before they could have taken a breath. Deck 7's windows implodes without warning, catching running passenger and crew on its way, before letting out a cried of help. Falling vertically, a car model in the promenade hall break lose from its base and falls through the pub bar, Lani jumps away from it before it penetrated the lounge with a destructive crash —followed with screams.

The ship swings down underwater, creating streams of suction, taking and claiming many drowning victims with it. Reaching close to 180 degrees of no return, the starboard wall in the ballroom with piles of human, beast-men, chairs, tables, and other, falls three decks high to the ceiling but only to be barred by the underside of the upper level balconies. It wasn't enough to stop them from falling when the ship continue to move further, sending rag dolls flying everywhere all over the ceiling-floor and sliding rapidly down to the other wall with more piles of trash crashing on them. Confetti and streamers are still falling all over endlessly. The grand piano falls apart every each hit with terrible multiple keys tones with loud mixes of slam, crashing, and ominous tunes. The twin staircases breaks from the base and together crushed into the ceiling-floor with the middle balcony with it collapsing completely. The red Christmas tree splits in two, leaving the lower half on the floor-ceiling while the green tree (still hanging) swings in circles, dropping its ornaments off. Red falls from his hold and slides with other horrified people before he fell into a slope and hit his back and crash to the sidewall, out of nowhere, a spotlight girder plunges on top of him, crushing and killing people with it, sparks ignited upon impact. One of the glass elevators in the atrium breaks free, taking rail tracks with it which nearly missed the tall statue hanging on the new ceiling, the elevator gets caught on stuck, shattering the glass case, dropping its occupants into the well. A screaming yellow-gown gazelle-woman high-pitched her fall into a dreadful thud into the glass dome before water bursted inside.

The ship barrel-rolls further to the surface, rising her starboard side in a mutilated form of an injured beast from a battle, crying for help. Floating in an unrecoverable position. Explosive sounds jerks the ship, a fireball spreads through the crew members' corridors, running, screaming and flailing until they got thousands of degree of burns, eating their fur away to roast.

Unable to float back, the ship rolls down, submerging into the lightless watery grave that's waiting for her. The ballroom, once again, piles of screaming livestock falls back to the new floor, spreading back everywhere to the flickering ceiling. Shocking they are now, people hanging onto the bolted tables on the new ceiling. Shrieks, yelling, shoutings, and hysterical screaming, they are struggling to get up, but they lose their grip. One-by-one: a human steward let's go, wailing down and thuds; a puma-woman wildly flails in the air with the most realistic scream of a puma; a otter-man gives up with a strained yelling; a black-gown woman fails and the table top breaks with a crashing thud with the chandelier. The last one, an Akita dog-man in a tux loses his grip without looking back, plunging into the glass covered skylight between the two chandeliers. Shattering bits of glass flying everywhere with his own body, electrocuting him. The room flickers in and out until a loud explosive roar rocks the inverted ship into darkness.

Underwater, topside down and bottom up. The bridge flooded with no signs of life but the breathless corpses roaming peace-less inside. Water flooded every part of her superstructure until it reached deck 7. Anyone who where from deck 14 and 7 perished away. Her external lights flicked in and out to shut down. Muffling screams slowly faded to a dead, submerged, silence. Detecting absence of main power; emergency generator kicks in: football-field lights flashes the ship in a green scenery surrounded with submerged debris of bodies, ripped wood, long chairs, bubbles, and escaping life-rafts to the surface.

The red coated hull fully exposed to the night sky and surrounded with floating debris emerging from the surface near. Standing like office fans, propeller pods slowly halts to a heavy moaning stop. Silent hissing water from the escaped bubbles until inflatable life-rafts breaks the silence, drifting freely with no occupants in it, instead, bodies floated by without reach. The capsized ship lay there like a dead goldfish in a bowl. All hands are lost.


	6. Chapter 6: Survivors

Chapter 6: Survivors

During the midst of darkness with little of light, people moaning, grunting, roaring, snarling, shrieking, yelping, whining and screaming in pain. Trying to figure out the recent event that lead them into a wild, psychotic-freak of a ride of their life-time. Calling out their names of their love ones or friends in the dark inverted room was almost useless to do so. A loud exploding spark startled everyone in a sudden, the lights slowly came back on. The two chandeliers, toppled like cracked wedding cakes after a crash party, lights up the set. The center skylight burst a second electric blow with the dead dog-man body, another round of scared screamers bursts. Someone screamed, "WE'RE ON ROOF! WE'RE ON ROOF!"

The ballroom recovers almost all its lights, revealing the mass mess it has done after the ship rolled-over. It was like a battlefield with chairs thrown everywhere till it shattered to pieces, broken glass and crockery spread every corner. The two curvy and elegant stairs were smashed down to the ceiling-floor, leaving a complete pile of debris and twisted steel. A huge mix of aroma of spoiled food and drinks spread around to rot. Unidentifiable scratches of claws on every wall, ceiling, and floor by the struggling beast-men that humans could not do in such extreme length, it literally shredded the place up. Bits of confetti and streamers finally falls gently to the new floor. Still intact balloons lightly fall as well.

Sylvester Rycroft lifts the poker top table on top of him. The tiger-man grunts in pain and rubs the back of his head. "What the fuck…" He grunted. His tuxedo is ruined with scratches, tears and dirt with a wine stain on his left collar. He sight the vast room, the black stage is cleaned and unharmed while the rest of the musicians are scattered everywhere on the ground. The green Christmas tree hangs now on the new port side, looking like a giant, hanging stalactite. Sylvester now wonders where's his family is. "Carolyn?" He looks around. "Carolyn?" He shouted.

Ricardo wakes up lying merely flat on the floor, tossing aside the upper half of the red Christmas tree that broke in two with the lower half hanging up the ceiling. "Qué carajo pasó?" He murmured.

"Ew! Get off me!" Portia yelled. Untangling a man on top of her. "Off of me! Now!" She shakes him off and the body rolled on his back with a cold-shock, petrifying eyes and a fractured neck. The body lay there without movements. "OH, GOD! IT'S DEAD!" Portia shrieks.

Kershaw wakes up from his dizziness, lifts his upper body up with a pain on his back, then finds the tigress he embraced during the overturn. She's lying unconscious with her black and gold dress stained and few tears. The lion-man gently shakes her shoulder, "Mrs. Rycroft, are you okay?"

She shakes her head, "Huh? I'm okay." She looks at the scene all over above her, swinging her head at every sight, disoriented and confused. "My god!? What happened?" She cried.

"I think we've turned over." Kershaw responded. He stands up and helps Carolyn to stand on her feet. "Something terrible happened." He added.

"Carolyn!" Sylvester's voice appeared, the tiger-man ran straight at them.

"Where the hell you've been!?" She shouted.

"Where do you think? Flying around my ass, that's where I've been."

"Sylvester, where are the kids?" Carolyn's eyes can tell her furious fear.

"We'll find them. Kershaw, give me a hand here." The lion-man nodded.

The stranded guests are searching around or helping anyone trapped under the debris. The hotel manager Mr. Collins is shouting to keep everyone calm. It's too much to handle with this pandemonium. Collins then spotted Dr. Daxner lying flat on his stomach. He reaches close to him, "Come on, Julian. Get up!"

He grabs him by the arm but the dog-man yelped, "Ow! Watch my arm!" The dog-man screamed. Other than his arm, he got a fresh cut on his left cheek.

"No time for that! Get these people calmed now, Daxner!" Mr. Collins yelled at him.

Officer Oscar Snowdon pushed away the heavy broken drum on his stomach and chest. His formal uniform is ruined with the bow tie missing. The pain he received on his back was death-killing. The polar bear-man stands up, he then saw Aubrey standing up next to him, she pushed away a piece of chair away from her that was pinning her not too soon ago.

"Aubrey, are you alright?" Snowdon asked.

The horse-woman in a blue gown confusedly replied, "Yeah, I'm alright…" She then bursts into screams at one sight. "Oh, my god!" She covers her hands on her muzzle.

"Oh...my…" Snowdon and Aubrey found Captain Sterling Whiteford… Snowdon looks closely…

"Is he…?" Aubrey asked.

Snowdon rubs his head in distress. The albatross bird-man received multiple impacts with a broken neck, his long beak is twisted and cracked. Even the Steinway piano gave him the final judgment, crushing him. His left arm and head is what is remaining out of the black instrument. And a few plumes scattered around him. Snowdon could not bear it, he felt helpless, he could not bear his misery with those frightening eyes…

The white bear-man kneeled at his colleague. All he could do was gently, with his white-furred hand, lower his eyelids to a close. Aubrey just sobbed there in disbelief. "How'd this happened?" She brokenly said.

Ryder Wolfson scrambles dizzily after recovering his consciousness, he screams Kale's name out loud, his face stricken with fear and aiming around direct-less to his only objective. His tuxedo is bruised and stained and one gapping tear on his left leg trouser.

Same for Zoey as searching for her husband. Her dress is dirty and stained but no tears to be seen. "Killian!" She shouted. "Where are you!?" She then quickly saw someone standing up on the underside (now upside) of the second level of the room with piles of chairs, tables and bodies stuck up there. She called again, "Killian!"

Hearing her voice, the cat-man looks down at deck 6's ceiling-floor. "Zoey?" Killian was confused, disoriented on how he got up there.

"Get down from there! Be careful!" She commanded.

Killian simply leap from the edge and gracefully landed on his two feet, thanks to his natural right reflexes. He somewhat wipes his shoulders despite his completely shredded black jacket from fellow claws of others. He looks at his worried cat wife, "Are you okay, Zoey?"

"I'm fine, but, what the hell just happened here!?" She replied agitatedly. "I… I could have sworn I saw a…" She trails off when a screaming woman shrieks in panic.

"Calm down, Zoey." He holds firmly on her shoulders. "I think we should help other people." She nodded.

"Sasha! Sasha!" The father shepherd dog-man panics for his son, completely desperate. He hurt his left shoulder when some blunt object struck him from behind. He found Sylvester, Carolyn, and Lionel who are also searching for their kids. "Rycroft, have you seen Sasha?"

"We're also looking for Jett and Stephanie, where could they be?" Rycroft said. Obviously, he lost sight of them during the entire rolling.

"Shh!" Kershaw silenced them. "I hear crying."

"What…?" Joshua listen carefully. It was closer.

Sylvester looks down the debris and saw a peculiar orange and black striped tail sticking out motionless leading to under a broken table top, chairs and a big broken bass with strings pulled out. He gasped, "There!" Pointing his finger at it.

"Oh, my baby!" Carolyn cried. Lionel, Sylvester, and Joshua move the instrument, the few chairs, and finally lifting the table top. There's two bodies, and one is crying.

"Sasha!" Joshua picks his son up. Hugging him. "Are you okay?"

"Daddy!" The little pup wailed. Hugging his father around his neck.

The five then gazes at the motionless tiger-boy. Sylvester leans down his head on Jett's chest, "He's not breathing!" He swiftly unities the tie and unbuttons the white shirt. Pressing his hands on the chest and pulsing it. Just like that, a heavy cough and gasp came from Jett, breathing again. Sylvester holds with his arms and caress his head, "Jett, are you okay?"

Looking at his frightened tiger father's face, he weakly responds, "Dad?" He mumbles and takes another inhale. Carolyn approaches him and hugs him gladly.

"Jett, are you okay?" She said.

"I'm okay…" He said and looks to the little young pup, "How are you, Sasha?"

"I'm all right." He said and turns to his father. "He protected me when the ship turned over."

"Oh, thank you so much, Jett." Joshua sighed in relief.

"Mom, Dad? Where's Stephanie?" Jett realized.

"We'll find her." Said Kershaw. Speaking of daughters, "Gwen…" He whispered. "My god, she's at the disco."

The crashed disco lounge is turned into a horrid junkyard with colorful lights still sweeping the set. Trampled girders smashed everywhere. Even the shiny disco ball continues to spin around. Music is replaced with loud, roaring, and screaming guests. Running around aimlessly to the exits. Confusion on where to go and what to do. People are creating mass panic of stampedes.

Gwen Kershaw is caught in the freaked-out crowd, trying to break free from being swept away. She shouts Red's first name, "Russell!" She roared. Her surroundings where so unbelievably spectacle, a reindeer guy clumsily falls back on the ceiling-floor, a young unconscious girl is being carried by a security officer, and two men got deafened to death for being near to a large boom box that exploded electrically.

Gwen's vision slowed down around her until she spotted a lion-man under a heavy girder spot light close to a wall, it claimed a lot of people crushed under it. "Russell!" She runs to it, shoveling others on her way.

Megan Swift, completely in shock, and couldn't find her friends in this destroyed darken room. She came across the huge girder and saw a struggling lion-man trying to lift the junk away. His legs were pinned under and couldn't lift it alone…until she saw a brown bear-man under it. The cheetah-girl screamed of recognition, "Oh, my god! Spencer!" She cried. She kneels to check, but his body, especially his neck, is pinned against the heavy steel. No signs of movements.

"Russell!" Gwen steps closer to Red. "Baby, are you okay?"

"Oh, Gwen! Help me! My legs are pinned!" He grunted. The two together took a strong grip on the girder. Simultaneously, they pull with all their strength. Red doesn't seem to be able to lift it with just only his arms and hands, neither for Gwen alone. Grunting and lifting it upwards doesn't budge well. "Damned it!"

"Help!" Gwen turns around and tried to get her attention. "Someone please!" She caught the eye of a Caucasian waitress running, she remembers her name tag, "Kacy!" She grabs her by the shoulders, "Please! Help me! I can't lift this." The waitress' face is bleeding on her right while trying to cover her wound with her bloody hand.

"We gotta go! We have to get to the lifeboats!" Kacy shouted, she was nowhere near like herself, she shakes her off and ran away in a panic with the others.

"Kacy! Don't go! Wait!" Gwen shouted but she was gone. She continues to find help and not too long she saw the cheetah-girl near with the other dead body under the girder. She sprints a few steps to her, "Can you help me? Please?" Gwen holds her by her shoulders.

"What?" Megan frighteningly said.

"I can't lift this by myself. Please, I need a hand, help me." She swiftly gestures the poor guy spared from death.

"Okay…okay…" She agreed.

"Megan!" Another voice appeared. The cheetah turns to it and saw Isaac and Clover running towards her. "Are you okay?"

"Please, help me here." Megan said. Pointing to the trapped lion-man. "They need our help."

"We cannot lift that!" Clover cried.

"Well, come on!" Isaac ordered. Dragging the beagle-girl with her. "We're gonna help them."

Gwen quickly came back with three extras. They each grabbed a hold and waited, "On three! One, two, three! Pull!" All five grunts into strength to lift the heavy girder.

"Oh, fuck! It's too heavy!" Shouted Clover; she's among the weakest of them.

Not even budging a few inches, it still lays there. They threw their air out and inhaled. "Again!" Isaac shouted. "One, two, three! Pull!" Even harder, they only made some groaning metallic sounds from the girder, implying of refusing to go anywhere. "Damn it!"

"It's useless, we can't lift this fucking junk!" Clover shouted. "I have to find Pricilla!"

"Clover, don't go!" Isaac ordered and grabbed her by the arm. "Don't go by yourself."

Clover caught sight of another beagle girl from a short distance already. "There she is, Isaac!" She shouted, "Pricilla! Over here!" But she's not responding.

Pricilla is waiting for Royce and Christine to climb out on the girder that gives a save passage to where she is. The two are surrounded with debris and running people; taking too long. "Hurry!" Pricilla shouted.

"Hurry, Christine!" Royce the lynx keeps his pace but the human girl is struggling to stand up. Every step she trips and tramples on her path, makes her fall on the ceiling-floor. Dangerously clumsy. "Get up!" Royce shouted. He doesn't know that she heavily bruised her right leg. It's weakening her walks.

"My leg hurts! I can't walk!" She cried in pain. Royce then holds her around the shoulder and marches towards Pricilla.

A stage light burst into explosive sparks; screaming the night-goers with fright in their faces. The sparks fly everywhere, affecting other electronic devices to burst into flames. Pricilla screamed, "Get out of there! It's forming a fire!" A flow of geyser sprinklers popped from the ceiling-floor, attacking the fire back. It wetted others including the human and the lynx. It was assuring to put out the fire but…

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

A security officer screams in agony, body vibrating as epilepsy. Water mixing with loose cables spreads out anyone near in contact with the ceiling-floor. A woman falls into the puddle and wildly cries out. Royce and Christine run towards the escalating girder to Pricilla but another girder crashes right in front of them with sparks blinding their sight. Christine and Royce stood back and falls backwards into the puddle, screaming. Pricilla panics, calling their names and witnessing her friends' electrifying fate. Their bodies were reacting too much of volts that they cannot handle, reaching their limit to pop their hearts out. The burst out continues, another boom box explodes. Gwen, Red, Clover, Isaac, and Megan covers themselves from the electric explosions. Thousands of volts thundered every victim in literal shock. Crying out loud of agony.

Hissing silence, small sparks from loose cables ends, the girls huffing scared, and one grunting lion-man trying to move the junk pinned on him. "Come on! Move this thing! Now!" Red knocked the spotlight out of its base.

"We need something to leverage this!" Gwen said.

"No! Don't go anywhere!" Red ordered. Even grabbing her hand.

"Okay! Okay! We'll look for one! Alright?" Isaac said. He turns to Clover, "Get your cousin." Then turns to the lions, "We'll get you out and we'll get some help." He turns to Megan, "Stay here with them. I'll go look around."

"What did just happen here?" Megan whimpered.

Clover came back with a teared Pricilla with a concerned face, "Isaac, where are you going?"

"I'll be back, just wait here."

"No! Let me come with you!" Pricilla begged.

"You stay with Clover. I'm going to find something to free him." Isaac stated.

Isaac left the scene, leaving Megan, Pricilla, Clover and the two lions behind. Confused, disoriented, fear in their hearts, unbeknown to what had happened. Isaac doesn't even know on where to start and where to go and find something. They're completely isolated from what's left on this destroyed ship.

The ballroom survivors settled into calmness of their confusion by the fact they see the entire ship inverted by just looking the way the huge room is. Portia managed to keep her cool after her encounter with the dead body and casually walks through the mess, her green silk gown is stained with gravy and wine, and her blonde hair is all sticking out everywhere. She heard someone calling her name and proceed to find the source. The voice got closer and found the Rottweiler dog-man under a pile of chairs. "You okay?" She flatly said.

"Just help me and I'll tell you I'm okay!" Malcolm has one free hand and barely moves one seat. Portia picks up one heavy chair at the time and found Malcolm's other hand. She grabs his underarms and pull out of him. "Hah... Thanks, Portia…" Malcolm sighed.

"Don't be too relaxed." She quipped, "I think this boat is sinking."

"What the fuck happened? Everything fell over!" The Rottweiler said.

Ryder reunited with Kale after finding him near the collapsed staircases with just a couple of bruises on his face. The wolf-man could not stop holding the poor human dearly. Ricardo spots them there and realizing that they didn't left the ballroom after all.

"Ryder! Kale! You two okay?" Ricardo cried after a short jog, his knees where still sore after numerous failed balances in the barrel rolling. Almost to a point that he may have broken one of the two joints of his knees.

"We're okay, Rico…" Ryder assured.

Rico falls to his knees, feeling kind of weak and hurt, but relief. "What a ride." He sighed.

"Stephanie!" It was unusual for Jett to call his sister her full name as he preferably calls her as Steph for short. She still hasn't even bothered to notice it.

"Stephanie Rycroft!" Mrs. Rycroft shouts. "Where are you?"

"Stephanie!" Sylvester roared. "Where is she?" The three tigers had been searching their missing daughter/sister. Even Joshua, Sasha and Lionel are looking for her.

Every second they shout out her name with no response. Carolyn Rycroft is losing her hopes. Her frustrations are becoming in tears, "Sylvester, where she can be? We've looked everywhere!" She cried.

Rycroft holds her by the shoulders, "Calm down, Carolyn. She must be still somewhere."

"She must be buried underneath on something. She hasn't even responded when we call her name." Carolyn is reaching the edge of sobbing. Sylvester holds her close. "What this all mean?"

"We are not giving up, must keep looking." Sylvester said.

"Mom! Dad! Jett!" An echoing voice boomed around their ears.

Carolyn and Sylvester identified that girlish voice, they both look around in alert. "Stephanie?"

"Uh, Mom...Dad…" Jett's voice breaks down as he tries to get his parents' attention. His face got pale. Sylvester and Carolyn glances at their son as he points upwards… "She's up there."

"What…?" Both tigers confusedly look up the new ceiling, thick red carpet with lots of shreds from anyone who possessed claws, bolted tables hanging above and one is being occupied. A young tiger-girl's head is peering down under a table with both hands holding onto the edge of the table top. Resting on the inverted underside, she has the most unwanted view of her life. And not just the Rycrofts, the Parkinsons, and Kershaw looking upwards. More others curiously followed what was going on.

"Can anyone help me?" Stephanie shouted.

"Steph! How'd you get up there?" Jett shouted.

"Well, that's a stupid question!" She angrily roared. "Anyone has better ideas?"

"Are you hurt, Stephanie?" Lionel shouted.

"No…" She calmly replied.

"Don't worry, Stephanie! We'll get you down from there!" Lionel turns to the tiger couple. "She can't stay there too long."

"What are we gonna do?" Carolyn said. "We need something that she can jump into… I-I don't know…a tablecloth, something strong?"

"Exactly." The lion-man turns to the aft side of the room, a large orange curtain theater is almost sprawled like a paused cascade at sunset. Kershaw runs like a comeback firefighter hero to save day. His instincts are coming together on what to do in those precious seconds. Stops, and with his strong arms, pulls the orange curtain, popping every hook attached into it. He rolls the material into a ball and face at anyone who could volunteer. "I need some strong men! Right know!"

He comes back to where Stephanie is hanging and needs his attention. He orders to clear up anything on the new messy floor, anything that can obstruct the fall. Kershaw spreads open the curtain like a carpet and orders to everyone to grad a hold to it. Officer Snowdon volunteers when realizing what's going on, grabs a side. Zoey begged Killian to help and the two took a hold. Joshua, Sylvester, Jett, and Ryder, including Lionel and others followed, a total of 15 all gathered around into an almost circular shape of a trampoline.

"All right, Stephanie! Jump! We'll catch you!" The former fireman lion shouted.

The sight of heights was frightening. "I don't think I can…"

"You have to, honey." Her mother said. "You can't just stay up there."

"It's a cinch! Come on, Stephanie! Jump!" Little Sasha cried.

"Don't be afraid!" Her father said. "We'll catch you!"

"I can't do it!"

"Stephanie, I believe in you!" Jett shouted. "You can do it!"

Stephanie is now facing her only chance of safety. Almost in tears and hesitating, she slowly moves carefully, starting with her striped legs to over hang from the edge. Standing now in a sitting position and look scaredy down at the makeshift trampoline, the group lift it up higher or otherwise she could hit floor. The near rounded cloth was big enough to land without mistakes. This is the only thing at least that will break her fall.

"Ready, Stephanie?" Kershaw shouted. She nodded. "One… Two… Three!"

No holding back, closing her eyes, she thrust her arms away from the edge, pushing her body from the table and screamed. Her limbs spread out, feeling the wind on her back. She made sure to land on her bottom first to cushion her fall. Everyone saw her fall, others looked away in terror before she landed safely on the cloth. It all happened so quickly that Stephanie still has her eyes closed. Few people applauded. They lowered the curtain and she felt resting on the hard surface. She opened her eyes. "Mom!" She stands up towards her with tears finally out. Stephanie hugs her and follow her father and brother to even Mr. Kershaw. "Thank you so much!" She thanked to the lion-man. She even hugged little Sasha.

Through the darkness of the dead bodies of Hades' underworld that _Poseidon_ had brought into catastrophe of everyone on the ship. Isaac explores the nightclub for anything that could work as a leaver to lift and free Russell from the heavy girder. Whatever what made the ship tip over, it really did a lot of casualties. Where he was now, is completely piled of lifeless bodies of humans and anthropomorphic beast-men. They were everywhere. People that were still alive, already left in a rush of panic. They were all full of pandemonium until it was too late for them to be saved. Isaac never saw hundreds of people dead in one single blow by the ship.

"Isaac?" He turns around startled on who it was, but was just Pricilla.

"Damn it, Pricilla! I told you to stay with Clover!" Isaac yelled.

"I don't want you to go alone! I'm sticking with you!" She barked him.

"Fine! But stay close!" Isaac ordered.

"Let's just go already!" She whined. "Others probably have left off the ship to the lifeboats. And I'm not leaving you behind."

"I'm afraid that's not gonna be possible, Pricilla." Isaac remarked. Pricilla asked why. "The ship's upside down and we're underwater. There's not a chance to reach the boats." He's definitely right. The lifeboats on deck seven are destroyed after the impact. Eighty feet under the waterline now. They're outside and impossible to escape. Even that deck is now flooded. No one can abandon ship at this rate.

"Oh, come on!" She whined.

Then Isaac hears something until they both look down at a moving corpse. A dark hand pierces between through the bodies that Pricilla screams out loud. Only when the entire arm seemed to struggle. Isaac let's go of his fear and shoves the heavy bodies off. Muffling and now a heavy cough until a head of a hyena-man popped out, catching his breath. Pricilla holds her chest together to keep her heart from pumping hard.

"Hah! Thank you… Thank you so much!" He huffed.

"Are you okay?" Isaac said.

The hyena-man tries to see what's his surroundings but all he saw was bodies… Bodies everywhere. "What… What the hell did you two do to all these people?" His breath reeks of alcohol. Pricilla's response was an exasperated disgust.

The mass crowd in the ballroom had all quieted down. The remaining crew had managed to keep calm the frightened passengers. The least injured helped the critical ones by the help of the only Doctor onboard. A few are at least experienced like Carolyn as she was a nurse back in her college days as an intern. It won't be too long until the survivors are asking for answers for what had just happened. As they are getting into a frenzy, the hotel manager Collins stands up on a chair. Security Officer Furlong whistles with his fingers in his mouth to get his attention.

"Attention everyone!" Nicolas Collins speaks. "Please, remain calm!"

"How dare you let this happen, mister?!" Portia Matthews yelled at Collins. "It almost got all of us killed!"

"What did just happen here? The ship's upside down!" Malcolm the Rottweiler yelled. Others followed rambling at the senior officer for answers.

Everyone looks at the human standing higher. "We're not exactly sure what happened here, but I assume that we were struck by what is known as a rogue wave. These waves are rare, unpredictable and lethal." He explained. The guest remained silence. Something rare, something unpredictable, and something lethal to destroy such a large ship. "They can reach over one hundred feet higher in the open ocean and enough to capsize the ship."

"What about rescue?" Someone else said.

"I'm getting to that," Collins started, "after the ship was struck, I can assure all of you, the emergency GPS locator beacons were launched immediately, so we're, at most, several hours from the rescue…" His statement causes a ranting riot, everyone speaking at once like questionnaires news reporters.

"Several hours!?"

"Are we sinking?"

"We have to get out of here!"

The ranting continues until Collins raised his hand and everyone quieted down. "Please, do yourselves a favor: follow the directions of my crew and officers and stay calm. This room is like a giant air bubble. The ship is also equipped with watertight bulkhead doors that can prevent gas leaks, fire, and importantly; flooding. I suggest all of you stay here and wait for rescue. Help is on the way."

The polar bear-man officer, while listening, he picks up a plastic plaque that came loose from a wall somewhere. It shows a single deck plan of deck 6 and a silhouetted shape of the two-funneled ocean liner with black-and-white stripes for each deck and the deck they are in, in blue. The deck plan shows where they are; in the ballroom but specifically the second level of the room. He draws his fingernail claw on the drawn ship and traces it through the striped lines of every decks to the now out of limits to passenger areas, stopping his nail-claw to what seems to be the ship's bulbous bow. _There's no time to lose,_ thought Snowdon.


	7. Chapter 7: Escape Plan

Chapter 7: Escape Plan

The half-dead ocean liner _Poseidon_ had been moaning in pain after encountering the phenomenon wave that had brought catastrophe. Various fishes obliviously swim around the giant wreck. Even thoughtlessly looking at the lighting windows on the hull. For those inside is like a freak aquarium exhibition with bodies falling to the bottom of the eternal sea. The little shepherd pup is looking through the dark, brass-framed window. His curiosity was too much to see if anybody was coming for their help. With his padded hands resting on the glass felt cold by the touch. Then his father calls and scolds him to stay away from the windows.

Turning around and meets up with the least injured people around. Carolyn and Stephanie have the least nursing experiences back home and school. With the professional assistance of Dr. Daxner, everything will be in order. Unfortunately, Dr. Daxner's real nurses are out of touch from the sick bay on deck 1. Using napkins and tablecloths as bandages for the ones who are bleeding little. But there's nothing they can do for the critical injured. They suffered horrible bone fractures, from legs to arms and even paralyzed by traumatic shock. The little pup curiously looks at Sylvester rummaging on a likely dead antler-man with a broken horn and the other with some red tissues and drips.

"What are you doing, Mr. Rycroft?" Sasha said.

"Just looking." The tiger-man replied. He found a multi-tool kit from one of the pockets. Sylvester has one but he didn't bring it along for the trip.

"Are you stealing?"

"More like borrowing it." He stated and popped a small knife from the multi-tool.

Jett Rycroft walked back to his father, "Dad, I've found a small flashlight from that dead guy on the skylight."

"Nice one, son."

"So, Dad, why are we gathering these survival kit stuff?"

"We're getting out of here."

"What?" Jett puzzled.

"But first, Kershaw is going to talk to Officer Snowdon. Let's see if he can cooperate."

Lionel Kershaw could not accept the fact that he has to stay here. His daughter is out there and lost, frightened by all of this. He must do something and fast. As Kershaw finds Snowdon, the bear-man found a black walkie-talkie from the body of Captain Whiteford, covered over with a table cloth. He turns it on, still functioning, speaks to anyone on the other line.

"This is First Officer Snowdon. Can anybody hear me? Over…" Static followed. "Anyone from the bridge... Can you read me? Over." More static. Snowdon kept going but nothing was responding back. "Damn it!"

"We aren't communicated, are we?" Lionel came by.

The bear-man turns to him. "I'm afraid so. Even if there are people still alive, they can't get to us." Snowdon said his poor sincere honesty. "Weren't you traveling with someone?" Snowdon remembered seeing a lioness coming by to her father earlier before midnight.

"My daughter, she's at the nightclub with her boyfriend. Not every cellphone is working in here." The lion-man said. "Listen, we have gotta do something. Rycroft and I are planning to find a way out of this bucket. I think we should convince other people to come or else, the ship will sink."

"I was thinking the same thing. Don't worry, Kershaw, I also have a plan." Snowdon paten the lion's shoulder.

Snowdon picks up the same chair that Mr. Collins used. Putting one foot first before he could be sure it wouldn't break by his whole weight after resting his other foot on the sitting cushion. Standing up quite broadly to almost see the entire set.

"May I have your attention, please!" Snowdon shouted. Kershaw whistles for attention. The human hotel manager stands up in wonder. "This is First Officer Oscar Snowdon speaking and I'm going to be very brave because we don't have a hell of a lot time here… As we know, the ship is capsized." Passengers and crew seem to know about this already, but they don't know what he's going to talk about now. "I know how this looks, but we can get out of here, okay? So, I have a proposal, we must climb level by level until we reach the bottom of the ship which is now out on the surface."

Zoey Maxwell's voice sneaked in, "And then what?"

"When we get out… We hang on…and wait for rescue." He stated.

The murmuring on the crowd weren't seemed to be pleased. "Wait…?" Someone scoffed.

"Listen, staying here won't help… I know about the ship, and I'll help us to get there." Snowdon said.

Killian Maxwell steps up near the bear-man with his wife, "Climb to the bottom? You mean to the hull of the ship?"

"That's right. If we get there, the rescue team will find us sooner."

"If that's the case, how are we going to get through it? That's the part that's all sealed up. It's solid steel!"

"Not to mention, it's completely doubled bottom." Sylvester Rycroft added.

"But we can go to the bow where the tunnel shaft thrusters are!" Sasha Parkinson stepped in.

"What?" Killian confused but glared at him. "Look, pup, this isn't some toy boat you play in your bath tub, so let us think this through, huh?" Doesn't seem like Killian isn't into having any children at some point.

"I'm sorry, sir, but my Dad and I took a tour in the engine room with Chief Engineer Reynolds. He'd shown us the bow thruster room which has a hatch that is only for use when the ship is at dry dock for an easy access for the maintenance mechanics and technicians staff. It could be our only ticket way out of here."

"And that's where we're going." Snowdon said nonchalantly, but with a small smirk.

"Have you lost your mind, Snowdon!?" Nicolas Collins interrupts. "Listen to me, everyone, if you all going with him to climb another deck, you all be killed!"

"And sitting our asses isn't gonna help us either!" Snowdon's voice raised. "Nicolas, we're isolated from the outside world. We must reach to them before they get to us. Now let me do…"

Shudder rumbles the room, lights dimming in struggle to keep alight. Following a loud muffling explosion, shaking the ship. The stranded guest startled by surprise and lose their footing from the quake. Snowdon leaps from the chair as it topples. A few noticed the dark-blue windows showing a mass of trillion of bubbles coming from both sides down below them. The rumbling silences away. The stranded guest slowly stands up scared.

Everybody then heard a loud bang, then a metal creak, and noticed the green Christmas tree shaking its ornaments off into the ground. Suddenly the tree dropped an inch downwards; it was security officer Furlong to shout out, "Stand back from the tree!" Hundreds ran away in panic, hiding under the cantilevered second level above them or running to the other corner. They didn't know where it's going to fall. After one screw loosed, the base of the tree pops out, the tip smashing the golden, five-pointed, crystal star into shreds. The giant green cone topples down in a swift, slamming hard on the ceiling-floor. Millions of decorations were shaken off and shattered to pieces.

Everyone were silenced and emerging from their hiding spots either port or starboard. Looking at the fallen tree like it was taken down by a lumberjack. A child would think the Grinch ruined Christmas and Santa Claus wouldn't come tonight.

"Everybody, stay calm!" Shouted Mr. Collins. "Stay where you are!" The guest settles from the quick scare of the tree. The human manager hasn't finished, turns to Snowdon, "That explosion came from the engine room, Snowdon. If you have any brighter ideas to get up there. We would all be dead."

"That came right below us, Nicolas!" Snowdon barked. "And sooner or later, we're next."

"Taking a tour around the ship doesn't give you that much of an authority to take charge."

"And you're expecting the captain to save us?" Sylvester interrupted. "Snowdon here is possibly the only officer left with the highest rank alive here." A few people murmured as agreement.

"Do you even realize how insane that is to climb out through the bottom?" He turns to everyone, "The bear is suicidal!? And is taking the rest of us with you."

Portia stepped in, "I'm with him! If he says that is dangerous to wander around and that it would kill us," turns to Snowdon, "why aren't you by his side?"

It was Ryder Wolfson to stepped in, "I wouldn't put faith on Mr. Collins here, ma'am. You see, I'm an architect; these ships weren't designed to stay afloat upside down."

"Enough to with your theories, wolf! The best thing to do is to stay here and wait for help." Collins stated. Several people murmured in agreement.

"Nicolas, this ship is taking on water, and it's sinking. The ocean is gonna fill the entire hull and we'd be soon next, unless we get the hell outta here!" Snowdon barked. He quickly calms, inhale and out, "These people are hurt and frightened… Please don't make it any worse, Nicolas…" After a short beat, Snowdon looks at everyone as he expected, are they willing to follow him? "Now, for those who wants to come with me? I'll be glad to." The white bear-man kicks the chair with his foot, passes through the crowd to the forward side of the ballroom. He then stops at the first barrier insight.

Carolyn and Stephanie came back after finishing the injured and asked her husband, "Sylvester, is he serious?"

Rycroft turns at his wife seriously, "Yeah… Get yourselves ready, we're climbing."

Kershaw and Sylvester follow him behind. Meeting up with him, they both look at what the bear is examining at; it's completely wrecked. All both curved staircases fell along with the middle center balcony structure. All what is left is the main entrance door that leads to the foyer which is locked by a black-and-yellow striped bulkhead door. Entirely blocked and too high up to reach. The bulkhead doors were activated after the impact, securing the entire interior hull of the ship from flooding. Typically, as any ship of today, the ship is designed to stay afloat unless the bulkhead doors are closed to prevent further flooding. But this is a different case…

"Any idea on how to reach up there?" Sylvester asked.

"This is only the beginning." Snowdon replied. His eyes suddenly caught something to his left above, somebody just emerged from a doorway on the now left side near the ballroom's main entrance, all high up above them. "Hey! You there!" He shouted.

After shouting, everyone in the room caught his attention and looking up to see a man in a steward uniform standing up there in the opened doorframe and getting the unexpected attention from down below. His expression is so priceless of so much fright. It was Zoey the cat who identified him, "Mr. Jennings!"

So many people and one remembers his name, "Oh, hi, Mrs. Maxwell! Is everything alright?"

"Jennings, is there anyone with you?" Snowdon asked.

"Yes, Foxley is here with me. He's hurt! He sprained his ankle." Jennings replied.

"Alright, Jennings, listen to me: we're figuring out how to climb up there where you are. Where does exactly that doorway leads to?"

"The pantry and further the kitchen galley, sir."

"Alright. Are there any table cloths there, Jennings?" Rycroft asked.

"Yes, sir, but what for?"

"You just use it to make a rope to climb up there." Rycroft explained.

"No, no, they aren't too strong enough to handle." Kershaw concluded. He turns back where the inverted stage is and the other stranded worried people. And the tree... "We need something like a ladder - the Christmas tree. It's tall enough to reach him."

"Good thinking. I need some help over here!" Snowdon shouted.

The fallen tortured cone tree that crashed from the ceiling lays with the larger bottom facing at the forward side where Jennings and Foxley are. Surrounded with broken ornaments, decorative ribbons still attached around it, and people now taking a good look on the tree on where and how to move it to where the stewards are. Snowdon instructs the volunteers to grab a side but mostly the thicker lower side which is the heaviest. Sylvester, Lionel, Ryder, Ricardo, Jett, Joshua, Killian (who convinced his wife to come) and few others who volunteered to help. Snowdon lastly holds of the bottom base of the tree on his shoulder on standby.

"Anytime when you're ready, Snowdon." Kershaw said.

"Everybody ready?" Snowdon shouted, "One, two, three!"

The group grunts heavily as they lift the giant green cone together. "Holy fuck! It's heavy!" Jett grunted. Lifting it by just a few inches or still dragging on the floor, they still are managing to move the tree forward. A few ornaments were shaken off and shattered upon the floor. The stranded guests watch tentative as if this will it succeed. Reaching close to where they wanted, Snowdon orders to stop. They can now lower the tree down and Jett can finally take a breath. He never lifted anything that heavy in his life.

"If I only have a long rope, I can tie the tip and lift it towards me." Jennings said.

"That's a good method, Jennings, but we have enough strength to lift the tree up." Snowdon stated. "Make sure to secure the top when it reaches you, understood?"

"I have an idea for that, sir. Ready when you are."

Snowdon turns to his volunteers, "Let's lift this tree up."

The party moves on the slimmer upper part of the tree which is the lightest. Together counting to three and lift it up. The tip, with a missing star, rises from the ground. The guys puff in and out, grunting, shouting, and giving every strength, they got. Almost to 90 degrees with nothing to keep it standing on balance, the men and/or beastmen surrounds and secures the bottom to keep the tip steady as if reviving the tree back to its christmas spirit and glory. Jennings now have a clear sight of the standing tree, ready for landing. Snowdon orders to push slowly and aim at the upturned doorway. Jennings rest on his knees with one hand holding onto the door frame and the other extending out to reach the starless tip. It was getting closer, closer…

"I almost got it!" Jennings said. "Gotcha!" The tip on his hand, bigger than he had anticipated, now securely rest a little inside the doorway firmly.

The party below him were relievedly satisfied. The tree, resting at a forty-five-degree angle, is now a makeshift ladder of hope. Snowdon gazes his first achievement with proudness. "Great work!" He said. "Now then, we need to test this."

"I wanna try it!" Sasha stepped in with a raised hand.

"Sasha, wait…" His father tried to stop him but he already met up with Snowdon.

"Come on, Dad, you let me go on the rock climbing wall with no problems." Sasha stated.

"He looks ready to go, sir, let him give a try." Snowdon said. He knelt to Sasha and instructed him, "Alright, pup, go as far you can go, climb out and Mr. Jennings here will give you hand, got it?" Sasha nodded and went inside the tree, he took the first step on the metal branch and use all fours like he did on the rock climbing wall on the lido deck. The others watch as little Sasha escalates three decks from deck 6 to deck 4. Jennings waits for him with a lending hand out to reach him. Sasha emerges from the fake leafs and branches and took Jennings' hand and stepped safely inside the doorway. The party below were relived that he made it, especially Joshua.

"It's a cinch!" He called out to everyone. "Come on!"

"That's great, son!" His father said. "Stay up there with the steward. Now, where are we going first through?" The shepherd asked.

"Through the kitchen galley, and further up through several decks to the engine room bow. That way!" Snowdon replied, pointing at the doorway.

"And find that said hatch and we swim ashore, huh?" Parkinson made up his mind when the tree was in place. His first priority is his only son. His mind is full of mixes about the situation they are in. His wife Claire all faraway in Hilo with little of information. A part of him tells he's glad that she's not onboard, but Sasha... If she finds out that _Poseidon_ is missing and sunk somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, the consequences can be dire and tragic. Joshua will do everything not to destroy everything he loves the most, and are these two canids. Joshua climbs the tree to meet up with Sasha and the two stewards there and show a good example for everyone to follow along.

On the ground, Carolyn the tigress borrowed Sylvester's multi-tool he had found and teared her long gown dress just above her knees, showing her really bared legged with stripes. She took both of her high-heeled shoes and snapped the points for a better, comfortable surface for the heels to rest. Carolyn turned to her daughter, "Stephanie, break the heels of your shoes. You no longer need them."

"Do what your mother says." Sylvester filled in, "We don't want a broken ankle."

"Okay, Mom. But, Dad, are we really going with Mr. Snowdon?" Stephanie said.

"Isn't this a little extreme?" Jett said. "How do we know if…" Sylvester and Carolyn stepped closer to their young doubtful children.

"Listen what I'm about to say." He started, "I'm taking the chances here, and my first priority is my family. Have you two forgotten that I'm from the Navy and they've trained me for a reason. I want you both to be strong." He turns to Jett, "I don't want you to be the hero, don't do anything stupid."

"No kidding, Dad. Loud and clear." Jett agreed.

Carolyn said, "We're in this together. Let's not keep each other apart from one another." Both teenaged tiger nodded and Stephanie holds Jett's hand.

"Mom… Dad… I don't know if we are gonna make it." Stephanie's hold tightens. "I'm scared."

"Steph, you jumped down on the curtain like would a cheerleader do. That was brave of you." Jett assured.

"Exactly," Rycroft said, "look at Sasha, he's fighting his fear right now and we better keep our spirits up." The two young tigers nodded and each hugged their beloved parents together. "We're so proud of you both." Sylvester whispered them.

Zoey the cat witnessed the small feline family reunion, her heart fluttered. "Killian, do you think we could be like that one day?"

"One day for sure." Killian said. "Now, that goes the same for us."

"Pardon?"

"What is the first thing about our marriage? To lookout for each other, of course." He stated.

"Oh, Killian…"

Joshua made it to the top, meets up with his son and the two stewards. Snowdon turns around and sights the next climber. Saw Jett and Stephanie ready to go before his parents went behind them. The Maxwells then followed up.

"Alright, feel free to go. But, I'm afraid you got to take that long gown." Snowdon said.

"Excused me!?" Killian's eyes widen.

"She can't climb with that."

"But she's not wearing anything under it!?" He wildly gestures, but mostly her slim torso to which Snowdon couldn't believe it.

But Zoey clarified, "Just panties. I just simply cut it over to my knees." She retracted one of her fingernail claws and shreds where she needed but…

…a heavy tear slashes all over Zoey's silver dress. "Aaaahhh!" She covers her breasts with both arms. Killian covers hers from view, especially from Snowdon. "I forgot I was wearing a copy!" Zoey cried.

The two felines went to a corner from anyone from seeing her, but others are too concerned than just some mishap. Killian has more layers of clothes than what women usually wears for evenings. He will just give her his white button shirt while he still has a white under shirt.

Jett and Stephanie climbed up to meet with Sasha and Joshua while Carolyn and later Sylvester followed them behind. Kershaw waited his turn and get this group going ahead. He badly wants to find his daughter as soon as possible. Sylvester reached the tip and hopped through the doorway, Kershaw took his footing and holding and escalate to and meet with the others. Finally, Killian came back just in his white undershirt and black trousers while his wife Zoey is wearing her husband's white button shirt and his black jacket hugging her around her waist as skirt, it covered all her body with some dignity. Just only her gray-furred legs in bared and her broken heeled shoes. Zoey went first after the lion-man climbed up while Killian follow her later.

Snowdon turns back with the rest of everyone who seemed to keep distance away from the tree of hope. The smell of doubts is showing in everyone's faces with fear. Ricardo Marrero tapped Snowdon's shoulder and spoke, "Excuse me, sir. When we're at it, how are we gonna convince other people to come?"

"Let's just hope they are going. The more, the merrier." The snow bear said. "Why not you go and gather some." With that, Rico left from the tree and find other people to come. Not the most social person, but this is a life-and-death situation. He started with Ryder and Kale. Just to be sure.

"Hey, Ryder. Kale… You guys are coming, right?" He asked.

"That's what I'm trying to do, but Kale…"

"I don't think is safe to climb up there. I mean, the whole ship." Kale excused.

"You're kidding, right?" Rico snapped.

"Kale, please… I'm not leaving you here." The wolf-man said.

Rico could not accept this, his closest friends who convinced him to come to this party gala for New Year's Eve and now he's going to convince them back. "You know, I don't know how many people I've booked on this ship as a travel agent, but you guys are the only ones that I'm terrified to be aware of. If I actually escaped safely off this giant tub, I'm going to live for the rest of my life in regret about you two for not coming along and think about what if I've never booked you both on this floating death trap that you call vacation. I'm not going to be glad that my ex-girlfriend Clara and my little cousin Tiago didn't got onboard in the first place because of some unfortunate events. For the love of God, Kale, come with us!" Rico's voice shakes right at the end of his sentence, almost crying. "I've put you both on this mess, and I'm feeling guilty here…"

"Come on, Kale, we went through some tough times in our past and made it because we were holding each other's back, right?" Ryder holds Kale's hands, the human in his early thirties with a young minded personality. "Please, Kale…" The gray wolf-man is not giving up on him. Not today nor ever.

Kale sighed and glanced at the underwater darkness through those windows. The remains of his grandfather in an urn that he released some of his ashes into the sea of freedom, now, with some remaining left inside that urn, he's now in his flooded cabin down below them. "Alright, I'll come with you." He released. Wolfson smiled with hope, he holds his hand and escort him to the tree. "Marrero, aren't you coming?" Kale asked.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna gather some more people to come along." Rico stated. Walking towards the majority who are seen too quiet or heavily in doubt. Rico feared facing against the hotel manager in person, he's standing ten feet away from him. Rico spoke to the crowd, walking by every individual close to him to convince them at any cost. "People, please! Follow me. There's very little time. Please, you heard what the First Officer said. He's taking us up towards the bow. So, please, this way."

"Mr. Marrero," Mr. Collins interrupted coldly, "we are staying right here."

"Can't you see the logic, Collins!?" Rico shouted him. "The ship is sinking!"

"Will you shut up! You're scaring everybody here!" The human officer hissed him.

"What kind of officer are you?" Rico cannot believe what he's saying, "A coward to your own crewmen?"

Collins ignored him. Portia breaks the silence, "Mind your own business, spic, you're not gonna convince any of us to get ourselves killed."

But someone stepped out of the crowd. The Rottweiler dog-man barked, "Fuck this shit! I'm going!"

"Malcolm! Are you leaving?" Portia Matthews follows him. "We have to stay here. That bipolar bear is suicidal!"

"And I'm willing to leave you here – It's your choice, Portia!" Malcolm stated, in hopes by behaving like this, she will come with mercy.

"Leave me here!?" Portia cried. "No! I'm going! I'm going! Let me come with you!" She whined. Malcolm snickered.

Rico was lost of this unexpected surprised, he didn't know what he did to convince those two. "Anyone?" He hopefully asked.

"I'll come." Rico turned to a brown-furred horse-woman in a blue dress, the ship's singer. She was taller than Rico, even without her high-heeled shoes. She walked to him, all calmed down after the death of Captain Whiteford. "I have two children waiting for me in London, I'm not gonna fail them. They can't live without a mother."

"Sure, right this way." Rico quietly said and gestured her to the tree.

Portia and Malcolm walked to the tree where Snowdon is. Portia said to the bear, "If you get us out of this bucket, I'll write a report about your heroism." After that, she stepped on the tree and climb before Malcolm followed. Rico came back with one more companion.

"Miss Quinlivan, you're coming?" Snowdon said.

"Where else what am I going to go? I want to go back home." Aubrey stated.

Snowdon turned to Rico, "Is this the best you can do?"

"How can I convince to everyone with that stubborn mule hanging around?" Rico points the human manager. "Nobody wants to listen. They seem to have more confidence with the manager than us."

Dr. Daxner the St. Bernard dog-man walked by. "Dr. Daxner?" Snowdon curiously reacted.

"I just came to say good luck to you, my friend. I've never meet a courageous sailor like no other." The old dog-man said. "I cannot leave these people, they need me… I hope you make it out of here."

Snowdon glanced at the crowd, he responded, "I'm not going to give up." He walks towards everyone. Including facing with Collins at all cost. "Can I have your attention, please!" He repeats a little louder, "Can I have your attention, please!" All hundreds of dazed head looked right at him, including Hotel Manager Collins and Security Officer Furlong the Labrador sighting at him. Taking the imaginary spotlight toward the bear. Snowdon first points his finger at the tree which Portia and Malcolm are reaching near the tip. "This is the way out! Your only chance!"

"Nobody listen to him!" Collins roared. "We have to stay here until help arrives!"

"What help? The captain? Our superior officers? I'm afraid they're gone. There's isn't anyone else alive but us! For the love of God, please come with us!"

"And I'm telling all of you to stay here!" The human officer shouted the crowd. He faced at Snowdon, "You're violating the direct orders to your crew, this is mutiny! It's not safe up there, you and your guests will be killed!"

The rest of crowd fired back, shouting at him with attack phrases. "Mr. Collins is right!"

"Who the hell do you think you are!?"

"Mind your own business!"

Snowdon silently gave up. He looks at Daxner and tapped on his shoulder. "Take care, Julian."

"You too, Oscar…" The old dog-man replied.

Oscar went back to the tree silently from the crowd. He knows everyone are scared, including Collins. Lives of everyone are at stake. At this point is now a point of no return. And "up" is the possible answer for the newly formed party. Stopping at the bottom of the tree, looking through the stokes insides, someone is struggling.

"Oh, dear. I'm stuck!" It was Aubrey.

"Come on, it's only a few steps!" Ricardo and Sidney are holding her both hands together. "What's with you?"

"My thighs are stuck between the stokes! Ow! Wait!" The horse-woman felt a firm push under her. "Who's down there! Who dares!?" Another stronger push made Aubrey pop her head out through the plastic green streamers of the tree. "Oh!" She cried.

"Good job, sir!" Jennings said to Snowdon.

"Excused me for being too familiar." He said.

"Oh, it's all right. I'm not like a flying, fairy unicorn." Aubrey commented. She reached the doorway and Snowdon climbed lastly the Christmas tree.

Standing close the door frame, he looks at the miserable sight below him. It was chaotic, dreadful, powerful, and painful to witness. Hundreds not willing to follow him. They all want to stay in a safe place, a safe haven for all of them. Snowdon make his final call, "I'm suggesting all of you for the last time!"

"You don't know what you're doing!" Someone shouted below.

"But I know this much! We're going deeper through the ship until we come to the bow and make it out to safety – this is our only shot! We can make it! If all of you stay here, you're all surely die!"

Somebody shouted back, "We're staying with the manager!"

Snowdon silenced, looking one last time the ballroom full of terrified people. "God help them." He whispered, leaving painfully, not turning back one last glance.

Inside the pantry room, Snowdon looks at his party for the first time. Counting until reaching seventeen followers, plus him, making it eighteen. Carolyn helped Foxley to wrap up the fox-man's ankle with pieces of table cloths. The steward can now stand up, but a little clumsy. Everyone looked at him, either hiding or showing their sorry facial expressions.

"You couldn't convince anyone to come, huh?" Lionel said.

"No, but we are now on our own." Snowdon said. "Let's get going."


	8. Chapter 8: The Adventurers

Chapter 8: The Adventurers

The other group of survivors in the disco lounge. Isaac, Pricilla, and the hyena-man they had found under the pile of bodies by the name of Floyd Archer, the ship's magician. He recovered his dizzy mind, but still feeling all spiny inside. His tuxedo with little of smudges, he learns about the two fellows in distress and a stuck lion-man. The three eventually came back to the others. The adult hyena examines the big, heavy girder. They tried one more time lifting the long bean, they were unsuccessful.

"Okay, let's find some 'pole' to leverage this." Floyd said. "Come, kid, I need a hand. Let's make my next magic trick." He takes Isaac with him and lastly the young college student made Pricilla to stay with them. The two went out.

"This is your fault…" Pricilla muttered to Clover.

"What?" Clover did hear her clearly that made her growl inside her instincts.

The beagle dog-girl turned sharply at her young cousin, "That this is your fault!" She yelled her. "If you didn't—"

Clover cut right at her and barked at her, "Don't even go in there! You were the one who brought me here! We didn't even know this was going to happen, and you were the one who wanted to get on Isaac's pants _all_ the way!" Pricilla slapped Clover's face, she yelped, loud enough for Gwen to make her move and stop them from fighting each other.

"Enough, you two!" The lioness snapped. "We have more problems than your bickering."

"This doesn't involve you, kitty!" Pricilla snarled. "Your boyfriend wouldn't even get out of—"

"Shut up! All of you, just shut up!" Megan the cheetah screamed. "Blaming on someone else doesn't solve your problems, Pricilla!" She stated. "And how dare you hit Clover!" Clover actually even stepped aback from her after the slap. She sat there on the ground in silence with mix of disbelief and anger. She quietly sobbed.

Red is losing his battle, his chances of survival if they don't get him out under the girder. Gwen, of course, won't leave him. Red knows if time is running out, he will have to risk forcing Gwen to leave him as his final resort. He's feeling the eternity of being stuck under the large junk. The longer, he'll be losing his mind until finally screaming out loud like those girls he's with.

Isaac came back with a long metallic stick which is actually a long hand rail. "I think this could work. It's stainless steel." He said.

"Where's the hyena guy?" Gwen asked.

"He's still looking for something additional to lift this." Isaac replied.

"Well, let's try it anyway."

Isaac inserts the pole through the girder under it, it provided a firm hold, the pole is nicely jabbed. "Ready?" Isaac, Gwen, Pricilla, and Megan took a hold of the pole with both hands all together. "Three! Two! One! Pull!" The heavy girder moaned. The girls grunted, "Come on!" But it wasn't budging, only a few inches but it didn't free Red's legs out. They all exhaled and stopped.

"Shit!" Red cried.

Floyd came back with a medium-sized amp, he watched the group they have given a try without his orders. "It's not gonna work that way, you know." He placed the black box device aside.

"Got any better ideas?" Megan said.

"Pulling it only made the pole bent, right?" He gestures the long hand rail. "With this," using the black amp, "we make a teeter-totter." He placed the pole on top of the black amp and jabbed the one end of the pole into the girder. "Instead of pulling, we all need is a little bit of pushing, get it?"

"So much for physic lessons…" The cheetah-girl muttered.

"Come on, I think we're ready to lift." Floyd ordered them and all (except Clover) took a hold of the pole. "Ready? In three! Two! One! Push!" They roared. Pressing hard downwards. The girder groaned until Red felt the heavy pressure on his legs had gotten lighter. He dragged himself away from the risen girder and screamed. They dropped the leaver and the heavy girder slammed hard on the ground. Floyd fell off balance and landed on his bottom and howled, "Wooo-hooo! Happy New Year!" The hyena-man laughed. "Happy goddamn year!" Free at last, Gwen can now happily hug her loving lion-man all she wants. Red is just happy that he's out of his miserable death trap. The new year literally punched Red's face right before he would know it.

Snowdon's group had left the ballroom, now in the pantry area that leads to the kitchen. The small room with little of damage than where the group had been, shows a cleaner sight of an upside-down room from a fun house amusement park. The brave group that chosen to follow the First Officer had managed to make their first step of leaving the ship to home. "Where's the kitchen, Foxley?" Snowdon asked.

"Right this way, sir." The fox steward gestured to a closed door.

"Kameron, are you sure you can walk?" Sydney Jennings worried.

"Don't worry, I can walk better than you." He assured with a hint of courage. Carolyn had treated his ankle she could. He'll be walking limply for a while.

The locked door is the same black-and-yellow striped solid door from earlier that could not be reached to open. A red light is kept flashing constantly below. "I'm afraid that there's fire from the other side of the door, sir." Jennings said.

"Is it safe to get through the kitchen?" Zoey asked.

"I'm going to check and make a safety path." Snowdon said. "And see if we can find the vertical access to the engine room."

"Let me come with you, Snowdon." Mr. Kershaw stepped in. "I'm a former fireman, I can handle these situations."

Snowdon himself had volunteered on fire drills during his career onboard the _Poseidon_ and other ships of the Royal Trident fleet. He also has experiences with fire situations, but he didn't mind his offer. "Sure, be my guest."

Approaching the locked door, Kershaw turned towards the group. "Make sure everyone stands back from the door. We don't know how badly the fire is, we could get hurt by a flash fire." He announced. The group took either any side of the wall against it and crouched down. They all waited tentatively for the worst. Snowdon took a hold of the now confusing inverted switch leaver and pushed it downward. The heavy door slowly opens with a small gap. Smoke came out, but not thick black smoke. Kershaw inspects a glance of the room. "Close the door." The lion-man ordered. Snowdon let his hand go from the switch and the door closed by itself.

"How is it?" Ryder asked.

Kershaw picks a fire extinguisher fixed on the wall, "It's okay to get in, but Snowdon and I are gonna make a path to walk through." He said and picks his handkerchief to filtrate precious oxygen.

Snowdon turned to Sylvester, "Rycroft, you're in the navy, right?"

"Yes, I was a Lieutenant onboard the aircraft carrier _Abraham Lincoln_." Sylvester replied.

"Good, will you guide the door for us?" Sylvester obeyed and stand in position and wait for any instructions.

"Sir, let me come, too. I know the way around the kitchen than you do." Sydney Jennings stepped in. Snowdon accepted his offer. The three men faced at the door.

"Ready when you are, Officer." Rycroft readied, "Everyone, get back into your positions!" He said to the group and huddled against the walls. Snowdon, Kershaw and Jennings nodded readily, and Rycroft pulled the switch downwards. The door opens again and wide enough for both large beast-men to enter the infernal kitchen. Once there, Rycroft closed the door behind them.

Just as they have feared to what a destroyed kitchen would be like. But not exactly infernal would have been, but smoke is the real danger than just fire. The industrial ovens are still heated but not alight. "The emergency gas shut off must have been activated." Jennings stated.

"Good to know." Kershaw replied. The new floor shows clear signs that the sprinklers did their job to put any raging fire out, there was puddle of water in the mess. The pipes and lights are going to make the walking more serious. One miss step, one could hurt an ankle, simple as that. The three marches ahead and find the safest path through the destroyed kitchen galley with aluminum equipments…

…and carnage…

"Do you know where the vertical access is, Jennings?" Snowdon asked.

"It's near around, I always use it all the time." Jennings said. "It's over there…" He pointed the to a staircase sign fixed on the new floor with an arrow pointing away. Making that turn, they stopped their pace. "This is it!" The three pulled the any debris blocking the door in the way. Jennings got his hands on the door and open it. "Oh, shit!" He shouted when heavy black smoke came out. He closed it shut. Coughing with his handkerchief.

"Is that the way?" Kershaw asked.

"Yes, but we cannot go there and get consumed by the smoke." Snowdon stated.

"Hey, map." Kershaw referred to Jennings, "What this elevator leads to?" He pointed a dual silver door elevator way.

"That's the service elevator, every single deck to go."

Kershaw and Snowdon stepped in front the elevator door. The doors can be opened manually in emergency, but Snowdon and Kershaw are having some difficulty. "It's jammed!"

"We need something to pry with!" Snowdon said. "Where's the axe when I need one?"

"That's my favorite toy, too." Kershaw joked. "There's one!" He saw the red box in a far end of the now port side bulkhead. The glass was shattered but the axe was still there inside. Kershaw picked it up and came back with the others. Kershaw ordered both to stand back and jabbed the axe between the merged doors, he puts pressure and one door creaks and squeaks opens out. With a good opening, Snowdon and Kershaw pushed the doors altogether. Nice and wide.

"I like these service elevators because it has doors on both sides." Jennings said.

Fully opened, there is no elevator on sight. Across is another double-door with the inverted number 4 in white. Kershaw uses his cellphone's flashlight, and both look down, the numbers 5, and 6 doors appeared but 7 and others are nowhere seen below, not because the phone's flashlight could not bright any further, it was full of water. Looking up, from deck 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, there's the elevator up there with some glowing flickering on all sides of the squared, caged box lifter. "What goes through there?" Kershaw asked Jennings the same door across.

"It goes further forward the passenger cabins." He said. "And there's also staircases that leads up to the entertainment area on deck 3."

"Out of the way, I brought something." Snowdon had separated from the two and came back with a long, six-legged stool out of aluminum. He dragged it all the way here. "Help me with this." Kershaw and Jennings grabbed a hold of the metal plank.

"What are you planning, sir?" Jennings asked.

"We are going to cross it." The bear-man stated. "Ready? One-two-three –Go!" The three extended the plank through the elevator shaft, accidentally misjudging the distance and hit the other door and scraping it. They quickly hold it back and tried again, carefully resting the plank on the tiny ledge of one inch of surface below the closed door. "Keep it steady. I'm going to check. Give me the axe, Kershaw." Snowdon said. Jennings and Kershaw hold the six-legged stool by the two back legs, pressing it steady. Snowdon steps on the plank and walks slowly towards the doors. Once there, he noticed the dents it has. Hoping, he jabs the axe between the doors, but it feels heavy. "Grr! I can't pry it open!"

"What about that half-opened door if we go there? Above you." Kershaw pointed the door with the inverted number 3 above Snowdon. It's ajar open near four inches.

"That's the casino's storage room —The entertainment section is up there." Jennings stated.

Snowdon walks out of the plank. Meeting up with the two. "Alright, before we can start this. I'll come back with the others, they must be waiting for us. You both stay here, alright?" Jennings and Kershaw nodded.

The rest of group waited hopefully in the pantry, Sylvester guarding the door and waiting for any signal from Snowdon. Time was passing by silently, Rico checked on his cracked screened phone; is two and ten of the morning. He forgot that it was now January first of the new year and it still feels like December 31st tonight. The heavy door banged out loud, Sylvester reacted to open the door. Sliding widely, Snowdon came back a little dirty and sweaty from the heat.

"How was it?" Sylvester asked. "Is it safe?" The door gently closed behind the polar bear.

"The good news is we found a way to the next deck." Snowdon announced. "The bad news is that our intentional escape route to the engine room is blocked. Too much smoke and completely piled up and destroyed. We made a path where we can walk through. So, come on, one at the time." He ordered the group. "Rycroft, open the door."

Once again, Rycroft opens the door. Snowdon glanced at the group and continued, "There's a lot of bodies, it's not pretty sight. And don't touch anything! Everything's hot!"

The awaited group finally got their green light to the door. Sylvester patiently saw one-by-one stepping through the door before he could walk in the kitchen galley with the rest. The door slowly closed automatically shut behind them. Seeing a different part of the ship than the ballroom like the kitchen galley is worst they see here so far. The place is hard to tell if this was even an industrial galley to begin with. Snowdon gestures everyone to follow him the direction to go where he cleared away a path.

"Watch out for pipes and lighting fixtures." Snowdon warned. "Follow me."

The group marched almost in line behind one another, watching their steps for any tricky obstacles that could fool their footing. The poor cooks or chefs lie around scattered around them. Nothing they could do to save them. Foxley and Jennings somehow got out on time in the pantry before they could have been crushed by every single industrial equipment –something suddenly sounded like it felt and got lose and slammed on the ground, Stephanie screamed out loud and turned to embrace her father sobbing. Rycroft and Jett glanced at the dead body of a shark-man cook with frightening bloody teeth and some teeth knocked out on the ground. Rycroft quickly took off his black tuxedo jacket and covered it on the body.

"Stephanie, is okay." Her father comforted. "Keep walking." He kept her by his side close to her and moving on with the others.

Arriving where Kershaw and Jennings are, the group surrounds the dark opened elevator door. Looking at it in wonder. Portia Matthews speaks up, "What is this?"

Snowdon responded, "This is our way to the next deck." He pointed. "We walk through the plank and climb up the other door above." He explained to everyone.

"Doesn't seem too bad." Carolyn said.

"But first, I would like a hand here." Snowdon eyed directly to Maxwell.

"Me?" He awkwardly pointed himself.

"The door above is half-open. I was wondering if you could squeeze through it."

"I may be a cat, but it doesn't mean that I can…" he paused a short moment and continued, "Alright, alright. I'll do it."

Jennings and Kershaw went back holding the makeshift bridge as Snowdon went first and stand by the other side against the blocked door. Maxwell followed and saw the opening gap above. "It isn't too bad, huh?" Snowdon quipped.

"You'll say." He retorted. Snowdon clasped his hands to make a step so Killian can step on his shoulders and reach up the door. "Excuse me." Snowdon expected him to be heavy but it turns out he's kind of light weight. Killian grabbed a hold of the thin opened frame and off the bear-man's shoulders. "Here we go." He slipped his right arm and leg and squeezed through the four-inch opening with his whole body and head. "I'm in." He said. "Zoey, come on!"

"Coming." She rogered. Walking through and meets with Snowdon. "Here I go." She steps on Snowdon's clasped hands and the other foot on his shoulder and thirdly steps her leg inside the thin gap. She squeezed and slips throughly. "I made it."

"Help me open the doors, darling." Killian ordered. He grabbed a side and Zoey the other and together push the doors away from each other. Now opened and in the clear. The rest can climb without squeezing through. "There we go. Now is easier."

"Children and ladies first." Zoey started. "The little pup first. Come on."

"Sasha, I'll be behind you." Joshua assured. The young shepherd thought this was going to be easy like climbing the tree, but there is a deep dark well under him. "Don't look down, alright?" He nodded his father and stepped on the plank. Sasha slowly walks.

"It's okay," Snowdon tries to calm him. "Just don't look down." He extents a hand at him.

Sasha suddenly looks up in wonder and looks back at Snowdon, frightened. "There's an elevator above!"

"Look at me! Look at me!" Snowdon directed him. Sasha sharply fixed his sight at the white bear-man. "Just a few more steps." With his big white hand, Sasha grabs it and come closer to him. "Excellent, I'm gonna lift you up, alright?" With both hands, he easily lifted the little pup up. "Aren't you a big boy, are you?" High above him, Killian and Zoey reached him and safely made it above. "Phew."

Parkinson sighted in relief, "Ah, good boy!"

"You did great, Sasha!" Zoey cheered.

"Come on, Parkinson." Snowdon ordered. Now it was Joshua's turn, this time Snowdon will lift someone heavier unlike the first three. Doing the same steps, Snowdon grunts as he lifts Joshua to the opening above. "Phew. Who's next?"

Stephanie, Jett and Carolyn followed. Aubrey torn her dress by the knees as she should have done it earlier. "Foxley, do you think you can climb it?" Aubrey asked.

"That depends." The fox-man stated. "But it couldn't be that difficult."

After Aubrey climbed up the next level, Malcolm said, "Portia, you better get on ahead."

"N-No, I'll wait last." She replied.

Malcolm noticed her looking where they came from. "If I see you going back, I'm not going to stop you."

"You're really are rude!" Portia glared. "What happened to the old Malcolm?"

"I'm glad you're getting to know me a little better outside of work." He revealed.

"We've only been on this cruise for four days! What else we could have known each other?"

"If you only didn't waste interviewing those celebrities, we could have gotten along well on the trip."

Then the wolf-man intervened, "I hate to interrupt, but you both get a room!"

"Well, it's not my fault this colleague of mine made me go with you guys." Portia retorted. "So much for my article, I knew I should have published it sooner."

" _Your_ article?" Malcolm scoffed. "I already took cared of it." And remarked.

"What?"

"I already sent it to Chief Editor Markus, he'll take care the rest." The Rottweiler added. "You also forgot to write my name on it." He was sounding a little sour every statement he speaks. "I can't believe you didn't added what I written. Are you trying to trash their lives' career of their aftermath? How could you!?" He yelled. "I knew I should have listen to my colleagues the moment you came in the business. I also know that you cheated on that contest for this fucking cruise you wanted. You really are trash, you scumbag!"

Portia lost her speech she was about to ask, but she glared at the dog-man. "How dare you!"

"Would you two shut up!" Sylvester interrupted. "This isn't the time for arguments."

It's Foxley's turn and patiently walks through the plank. Meeting with Snowdon, he said, "You better sacrifice your ankle, Foxley."

"Yes, I see…" Nervously replied. His left uninjured foot took the first step on Snowdon's clasped hands and sacrificially stepped his right injured foot on the left shoulder and the third step comfortably reaches the opening as Snowdon lifts him up. "Careful!" He almost lost his balance but was helped by Joshua. "Oh, thank you."

Sylvester and Kale followed until it was Ryder's turns to walk the plank. The wolf-man noticed how sore Snowdon was, he's getting tired. "Hey, I think you should lay it off. Let someone do it for you." Wolfson said.

"I'm fine –Keep up." Snowdon said. Ryder didn't say anything and climbed up to the next deck. He didn't hesitate to ask again. From above he said, "Snowdon, let someone do it for you."

Sylvester followed, "He's right. Hey, Kershaw, takes his place." Kershaw from below nodded.

"Come on, Snowdon, let me take it from here." The lion-man said. "But I need someone to hold this for me." He added.

"I'll do it." The Rottweiler took his position and holds still the one of the legs of the long stool with Jennings. "I got it still."

Snowdon walked out of the plank and Kershaw replaces him. "Come on, lady, out you go." Kershaw directed at Portia.

"N-no, let Ricky Martin do it." She refused.

Rico stared at her in confusion with her statement. "What the hell, I'm –right, fine, I'll go." Rico stands on the plank until an object banged right in the middle of the little bridge. Rico and Kershaw stood aback from the surprise and the object bounced back and fell down the well with a splash. "Que carajo!?" He looks up and remembered the elevator that Sasha pointed out.

"Come on!" Kershaw harshly grunted.

"Portia, you're next, come on!" Malcolm ordered as he and Jennings pressed hard on the plank together.

"After what you've said to me? I no way, Jose!" Portia retorted.

"I had enough." Snowdon muttered. Stepping behind of the female blonde human.

"What are doing?" He grabs firmly on her shoulders and pushes her forward. "Hey! Let me go! No!"

"Don't resist, just climb." Snowdon monotonously said.

Handing her to him, Kershaw lifts her like a porcelain doll she is, and Sylvester and Joshua reached her by the arms. She shrieked all the way up until meeting up with a stoic and disappointed face of Jett Rycroft and Aubrey Quinlivan. Snowdon climbs up by default as he was already on the plank. Once there, he looks below. Kershaw, Jennings and Robertson are the only ones left.

"Who's next?" Kershaw started.

The Rottweiler was the first to speak, "You go," he patens the steward's shoulders. "I'll hold it. Your colleague is waiting for you." Jennings nodded and timidly stepped on the plank. Malcolm holds both legs of the stool as Jennings meets with Kershaw and helped him climb up the other deck above. Now the last one of the finish line.

"We better keep it steady, or it'll fall off." Malcolm said.

"Hurry!" Snowdon shouted.

The dog-man gently makes his steps towards Kershaw. Ignoring what's above him and behind him that no one is holding the stool steady. Kershaw extends a hand to reach him…

The ship rumbled… She trembled… She roared…

Both loses their footing when the stool bridge swipes out of its supporting ledges. Falling into the well with a splash. One of them screamed. But one didn't. Snowdon and Sylvester reacted, and both grabbed a hand each of the lion-man. Another splash within a scream followed when after the stool fell into the water-filled shaft when another scream mixed with metallic sound followed, screeching high-pitched and rising its volume louder like a falling atomic bomb. Kershaw saw in seconds looking above, the elevator plunging from above with literal fireballs and failing emergency breaks screaming tightly against the rails. Snowdon and Sylvester pulled the old lion-man in before the flamed lifter passed their floor in a blink of an eye and loudly crash-splashed with a humongous salt-watered foam reaching and drenching through the opened door at the group. A few got soaked but not wet entirely. The slashed water rains back down the well. The ship didn't finish, another rumbling explosion came down from below. The rocking shakes loudly and the party falls off guard. The giant beast moans in pain as it ceases…

A short silence from the close call.

"You okay, Kershaw?" Sylvester huffed.

The old lion-man breathed, "I'm fine… Thank you…"

Portia's facial expression was, what could only mean; terror, stunned, blank-faced, trembled, paled, and mostly of all: shocked. Paralyzingly shocked. She stammered, "H-he…he-he's-he's…" Her voice is breaking apart but managed to panic…

"HE'S DEAD! OH MY GOD! HE'S DEAD! MALCOLM!" The blonde female human screamed like a lunatic from an asylum, so out of control that she rushed towards to the opened elevator door. Snowdon immediately grabbed her from reaching through. She screams hysterically but Snowdon managed to keep her still. "Let go of me! Let go of me!" He she yelled at him, then another roar from the ship rocked violently. The group crouched down in force. Portia kept screaming.


	9. Chapter 9: Reunion

Chapter 9th: Reunion

The disco party felt the massive jolting of the ship and the few previous earlier. The trashed lounge earthquaked aggressively, shaking off anything hanging on the new ceiling. Now Russell Westwood is freed from the girder, Gwen and Floyd help him to stand up, the group ran out to the exits before the place makes another electric explosion. Loud metallic bangs from the girders dropping, clanking, wrecking, and banging the debris scattered. They did not dare to look back.

Snowdon's group were silenced but Portia's hysterical screaming were driving everyone's minds berserk. The storage room lagged one box falling from an inverted and stuck shelve, nearly hitting Rico but hit his left foot. The box spilled a dozen of water bottles.

Portia screamed again. "What's happening!?"

Snowdon hold her tight by the shoulders, he kept her calmed. "Calm down. It's just the ship settling."

"What? Oh, God, what if we sink any further and nobody can find us?"

"No, we're not gonna sink any further."

"Ay, mi foot..." Rico pained.

"Welcomed to The Broken Ankle Club, my friend." Foxley said to Rico without any amusement with a small hint of humor. It wasn't funny at all.

Portia yet finished, "We're all gonna die you lying bastard! I should have stayed with the others – not you!" She hit Snowdon's chest multiple times with her fists without feeling a thing, but the white bear officer just stared at her down, blanked. Waiting for her to get it out of her system. "Malcolm's dead because of you!"

"I'm sorry about your friend but there's nothing else we can do." Snowdon responded her.

"That poor man." Carolyn frowned.

The group were speechless, had the hotel director been right? Wandering around the ship to death? Sylvester the tiger said, "We got to remain calm, people. We must keep on moving."

"Sylvester, please! A man had just been killed!" Carolyn said.

"We have no time to mourn, Carolyn."

"Mom, Dad's right. We can't just…" Jett tried fill in, but it was too much to bear.

"Foxley, Jennings, is there a door here?" Kershaw asked the stewards.

Jennings and Foxley look around the unfamiliar flickering storage room. Shelves still attached on the floor and now the ceiling with a lot supplies scattered. "Where's the door?" Jennings nervously said comically.

"Don't tell me we went all this way for nothing?" Maxwell the cat said. Hoping that there is a way out.

"Calm down, I know there is a door that leads to the casino." Foxley clarified.

"Foxley knows this ship than I do. And I'm still using a map." Jennings stated.

Foxley had been working on this ship for five years, enough to earn his topography right the back of his head. The fox-man pointed assuredly at a pile of debris. "There."

Kershaw began to move the debris aside; boxes full of casino chips, bottles of alcohol and other. He found the brown colored panel that stood out than the all-white room of a storage. Clearing away, he automatically pulls the door handle…

"I'm outta here!" Portia shouted again. "I'm leaving!" She marched and shoved Rico out of her way, he nearly falls but was held back by Sylvester. Letting the hysteria taking her mind over, she pushed the lion-man, but he resisted, and she opens the door until her instincts told her to back out and scream and fall with a uniformed body landed on her. Her body flailed wildly, freaking out.

"AAAAAHHHH! GET IT OFF OF ME! OFF OF ME!" She panicked.

Kershaw pushed the human male body off of her. Leaving blood on her dress all stained. Portia is not making everyone easy. She whined, "Why this is happening to me?" Kershaw lifted her up without a reply.

"Miss, if you want to live," Kershaw said, "panicking is not gonna solve your problems."

"Let's get going." Snowdon ordered.

Kale picked up the dropped water bottles from the box that hit Rico's foot and gave at each member for a resting and cooling relief.

One at the time, walking through the cleared door, survivors meet their unfamiliar location. Confident at where they are, Jennings and Foxley have been through the casino of deck 3 so many times onboard. Kershaw had been around during the earlier days of the cruise with other professional gamblers playing Poker and Blackjack. Slot machines still standing over their heads and some have bulldozed to rip its golden goods spilt everywhere on the room. Snows of cards and casino chips in every corner and some money bills. Roulette and Craps tables still attached to the ceiling and few trampled on the new floor. This is nothing what could Vegas have reached it peaks of wilderness at this level of catastrophe. Dazzling lights broken and flickering but still acting as if the games were still playing.

"Foxley, the disco is around this deck, right?" Kershaw asked.

"Yes, the casino is right next door across the hall." The fox steward said.

"But where's the way to go?" Zoey said.

"It's right there…" Jennings spotted it as realizing that it's blocked by a roulette table and other furnitures and a slot machine.

"Come on, men. Let's clear it up." Sylvester said.

Snowdon, Kershaw, Rycroft, Ryder, and Aubrey – she insisted to help – stepped up the vertical standing table guarding the group's way. The slot machine came first, making playful sounds of ringing like a child's toy. Chairs with a missing part each, one is found stuck in between the exit and the big table pinning it. Snowdon and Ryder tried to push it, then pulling it. Any attempts, the game table was firmly stuck.

"That chair has to go." Ryder the wolf said.

"Forgetting I have an axe here." Kershaw grunted. He pulled it out behind him and ordered everyone to back off. With both hands separated and hold firmly in place, he made his first swing at the stuck chair. Loud crashing bang of wood being mutilated. Then a second chopping to the chair, it broke in two and the heavy table game moved…

Towards them…

The group moved back even more than Kershaw ordered. It scared them how it was now leaning on like trying to get that soda can from a vending machine and shake it violently. It was menacing. Kershaw stand back, and the roulette table tumbled down with a crash on the new floor.

 _SLAM!_

Card games flew by the blow of the impact, it rained down like snow. And for bonus, the famous spinning wheel popped out and rolled towards Sasha without harm, it landed upright as it topples in circles with rattling sounds.

"All clear, group." Kershaw said.

Jett thought about the former fireman lion, _He's like those Russians who solve their problems by banging stuff._

Kershaw went first through the freed exit and stepped right where he wanted. The corridor on deck 3 was alight with emergency lights and some original lighting are still working. The attractive wide corridor runs right between the aft dining room that is right now above the ballroom and the promenade hall at forward. He shouted, "Gwen! Are you there?"

His voice echoes through the silenced, wide corridor. Picking up just a short distance a voice responded. "Is somebody there? Hello!" Then multiple voices shouted back.

"Help! We need help!" This one was a girl but too young to be Gwen's.

"We got an injured here!" This one was a male, adult sounding.

The rest of the party followed behind Kershaw and followed the voice. Just a few yards ahead and across the now starboard side, they easily spotted the disco lounge's entrance with its neon lights flickering. Just in time before Kershaw could have entered, a human in dark green jacket and dark grey pants steps out of the entrance, he didn't payed attention to the incoming assistance, helps escorting the injured lion-man who is supported by a lioness and a hyena-man in a tux. Two beagle girls, one in a single black cocktail dress with a single pink stripe and the other in a purple turtleneck shirt with jeans now cut, and one cheetah-girl in an orange cocktail dress, they followed them behind.

"Gwen?" Kershaw said right before his eyes. The daughter he raised as a cub as the only child he always looks for her since her mother passed away. With the feeling of relief and tension calmed down. The young lioness heard her name very clearly without doubts.

She looks at the elderly lion-man. "Daddy…?" She gasped. Her heart fluttered and ran straight at him. Bracing him with joy. "You came!"

"I'm here, baby. I'm here." Kershaw hushed and whispered her.

"How are many of you?" Snowdon asked at the hyena.

"We're seven of us." He said. "Taking care of lovely young women here. The name's Floyd Archer – the magician." And introduced himself, shaking hands with the officer.

Stephanie and Jett curiously glimpsed at the newfound survivors. At total of seven, it was Stephanie whom suddenly gasped.

"Clover?"

Clover Forrest the beagle, since her cousin Pricilla slapped her right in the face and muzzle, she was too succumbed of the menacing situation that turned her mind isolated from anyone to come near her. It was until she hears a different voice than her fellow travelers of the cruise. Her sorrow-ness was clicked off and turned at the voice's owner.

Confused of all people, "Stephanie?"

"Oh, my god! You're alive!" Stephanie cried. She made up towards her.

"Are you okay?" Jett followed up behind her.

"I'm fine, really." She assured.

"Oh, it's you two…" Pricilla said sternly. "The sun-valley tigress and the singing tiger-boy."

"Easy," Jett said, "we're in the same sinking boat, and now you're calling nicknames?" Pricilla scoffed and turned up her back at them.

"Just ignore her." Clover said. "She lost three friends back there–"

"Shut up!" Pricilla barked, half-tearing. "D-don't you even dare to bring them up!"

"Is anyone a doctor?" Megan the cheetah said and gestures at the hurt, red-maned lion. "He's hurt."

Carolyn made way towards Red, the lion half-resting on the uncomfortable new floor next with Gwen. Asking where, Red explains he was pinned by the upper legs. Carolyn asked Jett's and Sylvester's handkerchiefs in their pockets.

"There's some cuts and bruises but I'm want to clean them anyway." Carolyn said. She ripped open the trousers to get a better look. Carolyn wasn't impressed or worried. Only the left upper leg was hurt than the right.

"Russell…" Kershaw sat next to him. "Thank you…" And patting him on the shoulder.

Red could not understand his statement. "Sir… She saved me." He assured him. Kershaw glanced at his daughter in so revealing. _Just like her mother_ , he thought.

"Don't worry, young man." Carolyn said. "Once I'll path you up, you will be walking back on track."

"Thanks…" He said. Trying to ignore the pain of the left upper leg being treated. "You're a nurse, right?"

"I was an intern back in college." She said. "But I gave up medical school when I met my husband."

Stephanie said to Red, "I'm studying to be a nurse, I never thought my skills would have a true meaning in the future."

"You must be proud then." Gwen said with a smile.

Isaac paid attention the bear-man wearing his formal night uniform of his rank as first officer. "Excuse me, officer, do you know what happened here?" He asked every demanding with an angry expression.

Snowdon faced the youngster without being affected of the many times that passengers complained about every shipboard inconvenience. "We've struck a rouge wave, kid, that's what happened."

"A wave!" Isaac baffled. "What the hell! That doesn't make any fucking sense! Waves that large can't just pile up further in the ocean until the coast!"

"It's a different type of wave – a phenomenon one." Sylvester said. "I've seen one before in my Navy days. It damaged and almost lost the carrier's planes to the sea."

Isaac may be the son of a yachtsman in Newport of the regatta competitions, but never been that further part of the ocean. "Did your men sent out an SOS?"

"I'm afraid that I'm out of touch with them." Snowdon stated.

"Are they all dead?" Megan feared.

Snowdon, even the others preferred not to admit it, didn't responded to that. "As the outside world are aware, the ship automatically is sending an emergency GPS beacon. They will know where we are."

"Or dead before they can reach us." Portia retorted. First time speaking like her doubtful self. Rico sighed annoyingly with his index and thumb fingers pressing between his eyes of his bridge.

They all heard her spiritless statement but ignoring her will be in order. Gwen wondered and asked the officer, "Do you know where exactly we are, Officer? I mean…the location?"

"Yeah, about that." Ryder joined. "We must be close to the Hawaiian Islands, right?"

"But, it's been only four…" Rico cut in and think straight. "…and now close to five days since we left Long Beach. "We're supposed to arrive to Hilo by the sixth day."

"I'm afraid we're not even _that_ close to shore." Snowdon finally spoke. "We're over thousands of miles away from land and, as far as I'm aware, we still haven't crossed the Northern Tropic…or known as the Tropic of Cancer." In two days they should have arrived the Big Island of Hawaii, but now _Poseidon_ is floating dead hundred of miles above the imaginary line where the sun can reach its zenith by the beginning of the northern hemisphere's summer. Learning the miles of how far they are or how beyond to be reached for rescue. Can they all make it?

"Say," the hyena-man said, "what are you people going before you all came here?" He asked to everyone but focused on the polar bear.

But the little figure of a German Shepherd stepped up. "We're going to the bow engine room where the bow thrusters are."

"You all planning to get out of here?" Isaac asked. "What happened to 'stay put and wait for help'?"

"We're going to meet the rescue once we arrive there." Sylvester said. "If you all want to come with us? That'll be great." The tiger-man finished and went ahead towards forward through the extravagant corridor.

Megan bravely said. "We'll come."

"What?" Pricilla reacted, turning at her.

"Spencer, Royce and Christine just died in front of us. They would appreciate if we save ourselves." The cheetah responded.

"I'm coming, too…" Clover announced.

"We're not going anywhere!" Pricilla yelled.

"Can't you see we're on a sinking boat!?" Clover yelled, "We'll die if we stay behind. I knew I should have stayed in Newport, but noooo, you wanted to be close with Isaac!"

"Fuck off! I'll slap you again!"

"Make me!"

It got too far, and Stephanie held Clover while Isaac and Megan held Pricilla away from each other. Both canines snarled at one another with devastating verbal nuisance in front of the group. Clover had the last straw, "I hate you! I wish you all your friends are dead and including you! I hope you die, bitch!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Isaac boomed. "Enough!" Both canines quieted. "We got more problems than what it is right now. If you two behave for once–"

"I'm the one behaving! It's her!" Pricilla screamed, cutting him off. "We're not going!"

"Oh, yes we're going with them, and that's final! I don't want to hear both of you barking on each other and die exactly like dogs! I want you two to behave well and stick together, nothing more! Is that too much to ask?"

Hearing him to yell like that for the first time in front of Pricilla was stabbing-some. It really hurt her to see him like that. Pricilla the beagle wanted to whine, wanted to cry, and please for forgiveness. She settled down and relaxed her tensed body, "Fine…"

"Thank you, Pricilla…" Isaac responded.

"Are you guys done?" Portia cruelly said. "Good, because I'm tired of sitting here and waiting for nothing."

The group ignored her and continued. Carolyn and Stephanie finished with Red's left leg and he will be walking limply like Foxley for a while. Sylvester went ahead earlier and Snowdon, Kershaw, Ryder, and Archer searched through the small alleyways of every shipboard facilities. No signs of life. Carolyn asked the college youngsters about their parents' whereabouts, but they are actually traveling in group without them.

"How do you all get to travel at such a young age? I know you are all in college, but, how could you all afford such a trip?" The older tigress said.

Megan said, "The cruise line's brochure said eighteen and older can travel and my friend Spencer got us tickets for the trip because his father has close relations with the company. We thought we could spend a holiday away from winter as most of all of us do."

"And now we're in trouble…" Clover added.

"You must be Clover." Carolyn said. "Stephanie have talked about you."

"That's nice of you…" She calmly complimented. "Are we really going to get out?"

"They're still searching around." Stephanie said. "Where did Dad go?"

Jett went through where his father went. He was staring at a double door with shinny handles. Strangely, during the earlier days of the cruise, Jett had walked around these parts and where left with the doors opened wide for the public. Why it was closed?

"Dad, whatcha doing?" He said.

"Just thinking…" Sylvester replied. "And you?"

"Um, does it lead to somewhere?"

"It leads forward to the main hall, but…" He paused. "What's behind it?"

Jett scoffed, "Just open it." He extends his hand, but it was swiftly caught by the wrist of his father's hand before he could touch the handle. Jett gasped.

"Easy, champ." Sylvester gave his son careful state of warning. "Watch…" He let go Jett's hand and picked a water bottle given from Summers. He opened the cap and pour the liquid on the metal handles's surface.

Sizzling. Hissing. Vapor. Burning hot.

Jett stepped back from the menacing obstacle. Speechless of a visual answer from his father. "It's hot!" Jett startled when Sasha's voice appeared behind him. He must have followed him.

"Sasha!" His father made towards him. "What are you doing?"

"Dad, this door is the way to the Promenade Hall."

Parkinson did hear him but kneeled at him and scolded. "Please, don't walk away like that from me again, okay?" Sasha apologized, and he continued. "I don't want you going by yourself and away from the group. Do you understand?" The little pup nodded.

"Aaahh!"

Sylvester, Jett, Sasha and Joshua heard a scream from somewhere but was not anyone of the group. They looked at the door, hearing somebody owing in pain. "Ow! My hand!"

Sylvester tried to use his black tuxedo jacket, but he had already throw it away to cover a body. "Gimme your jacket!" Sylvester ordered Jett's jacket. Quickly taking it off, donating it to him and using it to protect from burning his hands. Holding onto the handle and pull. "Damn it! It's stuck!" He grunted.

"Help! There's someone trapped!" Jett shouted.

Snowdon, Kershaw and others hurried. Sylvester shouted through the door. "Stand away from the door! I'm gonna bust it!" He kicked up with his right leg and bang right between the double door. It didn't budge. Snowdon followed and together kicked the stuck doors with force inwards.

With relief, Sylvester feared about a fire spreading behind the door, but it turns out to be a flash-fire, heating the door as to forbid anyone near it. The group saw two people and hurriedly walking out of their cell. A young female human wearing a costume of hula dancing which was ruined and shredded which is covering very little of her body. And the other is a tan-furred, rabbit-woman in a dark-blue gown with a name tag on the left breast. Both looked tired and terrified but seeing more people before their eyes was a relief for the two of them.

"Oh, thank god!" The young girl cried. "We're saved!"

Snowdon's exclamation mark popped right above his head to see the cruise director Joyce Blake. "Miss Blake?" He wasn't the only one, Foxley and Jennings felt the same. But Jennings could not believe right before his eyes at the other individual.

"Mr. Snowdon!" Miss Blake said. "You're alive!"

"Lani?" Jennings spokes. "Is that you?"

The Hawaiian native reacted to what thought to be a stranger, but it was her friend Sidney Jennings. "Sid?" She gasped and ran right up to him and hug him. "Oh, Sid! I'm so happy to see you! Something crazy just happened!"

"Are you hurt?"

She released from hug. "I'm okay, I just burnt my hand." She stated, and Jennings picked up his bottle water and pour it on Lani's red-colored hand. The liquid was temperature, not cold from the fridge, but it relieved her hand at least. Seeing her costume ruined, Jennings gives his steward jacket uniform to her. "Oh, thank you…" It was over her size, it covered her whole slim torso.

"Is there anyone with you?" Snowdon asked.

"Just Lani and me…" Blake said. "Lani and I were in the Promenade Hall with the other passengers until the ship turned over. We couldn't do anything, passengers were running in panic. I thought I was done for, but Lani found me when there wasn't anyone around there. We were the only ones before you found us."

"It's all right, Joyce. You're safe." Snowdon assured.

"Wait…" Joyce started. "You were from the ballroom, right?"

"Blake, I…"

"What happened in the ballroom?" The rabbit doesn't want to let it go.

Rico stood up, "Your colleague of a hotel manager doesn't want to cooperate and made hundreds to stay behind."

"Then, we have to go back! It's safe there, right?"

Snowdon shook his head, "Miss Blake, Collins and the others decided to stay. We're not coming back."

"You cannot be serious." She cried. "We have a job to do and we cannot leave hundreds of people all down there. Our jobs are to protect the passengers…" She kneels with hands on her face with sobs hidden. "They never trained me this kind of thing…"

Snowdon was lost to what to do with her, but Lani lower along with Blake to comfort her. "It's okay, Miss Blake. It's going to be alright."

"Miss Blake, there's nothing we can do about it." Jennings said close to her. "They made up their choices to stay. If you quit, you're bound as those in the ballroom. I know this is difficult for you, but there's no other choice. Come with us."

"Please, Miss Blake, we don't want to leave you." Lani pleaded.

The rabbit-woman quietly stands up with Lani. She sniffles and replied, "Alright... I'll go."

"I'm glad you did the right thing, Miss Blake. We all gonna get out of here, safe and sound." Jennings said with a smile.

Settled, the group grew at twenty-six. Lani kindly introduced herself towards the whole group. Happy to join. Then Snowdon talked to the new members from the disco about their intentions of getting out to through the bottom of the ship towards the bow. To which Miss Blake and Lani reacted their heading towards the opened doors they had came from.

"Wait…" Lani started. "We all going where we've been to?"

"It's our direction towards the bow." Kershaw said to her.

"But there's…" She stopped to which the whole group caught her attention.

"There is what, miss?" Kale Summers asked. He sensed a hint of fear of possible dangerous obstacle or something much worse ahead of them which he holds his left hand with Ryder the wolf.

"There's a huge well where people had fallen…" She warned.

Rico verified her statement and specified. "You mean the atrium?"

"Y-yes… There's water down below and the stairs broken. I guess I could say that it's blocked…"

Snowdon asked the young girl. "Are you sure that is blocked?"

"I don't know. I woke up at the other side of the atrium that I tried to walk around it, but it has been wrecked badly which I have to cross this weird, wrecked bridge and that was the moment I saw the statue right above me, all upside-down. That's all I know." Lani pressured her knowledge.

Zoey assured her, "It's okay, miss, you don't have to force yourself too much."

"Are you kidding?" Portia strikes again. "She said it was blocked. No way out!"

"Are you deaf, lady?" Rico retorted. "She said she _crossed_ the atrium on something. That's a path."

"Only way to find out, Rico." Ryder said.

Maxwell added, "If it's blocked, then we'll have to go the other way, uh, towards the back of the ship and find a way up to the front, right?"

"There's always a plan B, Mr. Maxwell." Foxley said.

"I would like to see this 'wrecked bridge' you speak of, Miss." Snowdon said to Lani.

"Of course." Lani nodded.

The group marched through the opened doors. For the passengers, this area is a small boutique shop, full of broken glass scattered on the new floor from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. As a boutique shop, tax-free products from purses to jewelry are shinning the dimmed room by the emergency lighting.

"How many diamonds does it take to throw in the ocean…" Archer said.

"They've been there and done that. Lay it off, Sir." Rico said.

"Just keeping the mood." The hyena sincerely said. "Hey, I remember you!"

"Pardon?"

"You're the spaniard at the bar the other day, right?"

"Ah, you're the one whom gave me that half advice before you left. It sucked."

"Well, sorry. When I came back, you were already gone."

"I was drunk, what am I supposed to…"

"Oh, dear god…" The hyena-man stopped.

"What?" Rico wonders and saw the magician kneeling at a lifeless body.

Jennings cried, "Oh, God! It's Kacy!"

"Kacy…" Gwen remembered. "She was the waitress whom ran away."

Unlike the badly, blooded, dead shark-man that Stephanie was frightened of, the Caucasian female human lies almost peacefully with few blood stains on her uniform, but her head had a mortal wound behind all that blonde hair. Her eyes were closed long ago.

"I didn't know it was her when we passed by." Miss Blake said.

"There's nothing we can do for her." Foxley said, voice weaken.

Jennings rummages around her neck, taking off a necklace. "I hope I can bring this to her family if we get out of here."

"Um, Sid…" Lani started. Jennings turns to her and asked what is it? She said, "Do you think I can borrow her shoes, I mean, I'm barefoot." Jennings saw her feet with small cuts and bruises. Lani was performing the night for the party that she was wearing a hula dancing costume that didn't included a pair of slippers. Jennings nodded and took Kacy's low-heeled shoes.

"I not sure if you're the same size." Jennings said. Lani didn't hesitated and put the shoes on, it was an inch longer than her size.

"They are fine. I hope Kacy understands my situation." She stated.

"She's now in a better place…" Foxley said.

The group quietly leaves Kacy's body alone in peace. Foxley and Jennings have known Kacy since she began working on the _Poseidon_ for over a year. It may not be much, but enough to know her what she likes or dislikes and openly talked about her family back in England. Mixed reactions as to what had happened to her, the families are facing sorrow-ness when they hear the news.


	10. Chapter 10: Atrium

Chapter 10th: Atrium

The marching group of twenty-six moved forward ahead. Lani and Joyce have walked passed these areas before encountering with Snowdon's party. Familiarized, the passengers and crew know that this wide corridor heads towards the larger public area of the Promenade Hall's second level, which peers over the first level of Deck 2.

The area they are in, is roasted by a fiery flash fire. Sprinklers had soaked the place, stepping on puddles as they walk slowly. The faint smell of burnt material reaches their nostrils. It made Rico to blow out air sharply from his nose when it hit him. "Ugh…" Getting every smelly air he got inside his nostril out.

They all stopped, another black-and-yellow striped door. This wasn't very familiar to appear for the passengers. The watertight door is fully closed automatically with a yellow flashing light signaling caution.

"Was this door closed?" Sylvester asked.

"Yes, we came from there. We can open it." Miss Blake said.

Snowdon looks for the handles which was encased in a yellow box that said "Do not open. Watertight Doors Handle" in upside-down. Pulling the handle upwards, the doors made a heavy sound as it slides slowly open. "Wait till the doors are fully opened." Snowdon ordered. Once wide opened, one-by-one passes in a orderly fashion. Snowdon saw all walked through and released the handle which the doors slowly slide back to close, enough for him to walk through it without worry.

"All accounted for?" He said.

"All accounted, Snowdon." Sylvester said.

"Except for Malcolm." Portia muttered.

For the curious like Sasha seeing the Promenade Hall, now standing on the new floor in front of cracked chandeliers, railings of the second level now hanging up on both sides, and marble tiles of the former floor of Deck 2 right above them. Surrounded of confetti, streamers and fallen intact balloons covered the bodies who had partied earlier. The lights are dimmed pretty dark, except the adjacent of the Grand Lobby forward, lights are much brighter than where they are. This is the place where Lani and Joyce were, surrounded with chaos of panicked people until disappearing from sight. No screams, no help, nor distresses around. It was silence that metaphors the large scale of catastrophe.

Walking about half of a football field, avoiding some debris and bodies, and finally stopping where there isn't any safety railing. Standing a wide gap right between the two wider columns that posses the crystal elevators, the group sights the ominous looking upside-down world – the ship's atrium. The first place where passengers boards the ship on the first day of embarkation. Sasha just wowed at the wrecked place while the others just speechless in their minds. The elegant twin staircases had been collapsed. Both sides of port and starboard are wrecked without a chance to walk around it. Below them was a well that once was the ceiling with an indoor glass dome that simulated the sky. It was gone, only water. It was murky, dirty with debris, and lapping near the ledges of the soon-to-be flooded deck. Above them was the statue of the ship's namesake, still standing with its trident facing down with tiny drips of blood…

"Where are we going to start?" Russell said.

"I've only worked on this ship for a few days." Lani said. "This is it." She automatically pointed the now right side of the thick column. "There, that's the wrecked bridge that I'd crossed."

"The elevator's tracks had been ripped." Snowdon said.

"Are we going to cross it?" Stephanie asked.

The elevator on their right looks as if stuck almost one deck below them. Leaned heavily downwards with its shattered capsule glass, showing its "back" of closed glass doors with one of them cracked, but not shattered. The lifting vehicle took down its rail tracks with it. It swung directly right across the same deck. It might be responsible for destroying the twin staircases, with that, it shows a clearer path to go forward.

"Will it hold?" Carolyn concerned.

"I think it will hold; it's solid steel." Ryder the wolf said. He leaps with one step on the elevator and set himself on all-fours, a few creaks and groans from the elevator rumbled.

Kale startles what's his boyfriend is going. "Ryder! What are you going? Get back here!"

Ryder didn't stop and was already halfway on the twisted rollercoaster-like tracks. "It's fine! We can cross this!"

"I never thought I would cross this again." Lani said.

"Come on, Kale! Don't let the others wait." Ryder shouted.

"Coming…" Kale said. He realized he was closer on the elevator and the group almost huddle up closer his way. He cannot go back now. If he does, he will feel like a coward in front of everyone.

"Aren't you going?" Snowdon said.

"Yeah… Sure." He began on all-fours like Ryder did and follow along.

"Jett, Stephanie, you both ready?" Sylvester said. They both nodded.

"But, what about Sasha?" Stephanie said. "He's too short to reach any of the tracks."

"Don't worry, Stephanie." Mr. Parkinson said. "He'll be riding on my back."

Stephanie turns at Clover. "Can you do this?"

"Can't believe we're actually doing this." Clover nervously said.

"We had actually went a more ruckus one earlier." Jett said without any detail.

Kale fully crossed the bridge and met with Ryder the other side. Jett went in, followed by Stephanie and their mother. Snowdon asked Sylvester to stay by the elevator as base and carefully guide the others one by one as he carefully guide his wife behind with her kids.

"Don't look down, honey." Sylvester said.

"I won't." She assured and followed her children.

Floyd Archer leaned down curiously at the well as he picks a shiny flat bottle from his pocket with some goods. "Well, this is nice…" He opened the bottle cap and took a gulp.

Miss Blake saw this and said to him, "Mr. Archer, you better take it gentle with that."

The hyena-man replied with, "You can have some if you want. It's brandy – calms your nerves."

"No… No, thank you." The rabbit-woman said.

"I'll have some." Portia interrupted. The hyena didn't mind and gave her some.

"Miss Mathews, you mustn't. I don't think it's a good time for some liquor." Said Miss Blake.

"I had enough problems after Malcolm was squashed to death by an elevator." She spat.

"Mr. Robertson's dead?" Miss Blake surprised. "I'm so sorry."

Her dreadful stare, but still affected, was not of any sympathy. "Don't mind about it."

Rico was next to Snowdon near the edge, looking down more curious at the well; counting the numbers of decks above water. "Water had stopped right under Deck 6…"

Snowdon followed whatever he was stating. "Then soon the rest will follow up slowly."

"Uh, I was just thinking about the shifted center-of-gravity, Mr. Snowdon. We're upside down, the entire upper structure is flooded from 14 to 7; anchoring the hull where it is."

"Makes sense much."

"Once water rises, the ship will adapt the airless element which…" He pauses. "The ship can finally right itself up."

"She'll be at the bottom of the Pacific in no time." He nonchalantly said.

"Those people in the ballroom, they wouldn't know what hit them…" He quietly said. Only to Snowdon.

Jett, Stephanie and Carolyn crossed the other side. For Carolyn, looking down was nauseating. The ship is still showing signs of motions as she drifts. The giant pool of water is shown sloshing and reaching Deck 6's ledges quietly with hardly any sound of rough splashing. Standing up safely the other side, Jett and Stephanie can tell how their mother cannot stands heights.

"Mom, are you okay?" Jett asked.

"I'm fine, son." Carolyn assured. "I need to stay away from the edge."

Kindly enough, Ryder fetched a thrown chair for Carolyn to seat. "Here, Mrs…

"Rycroft." She introduced.

"Mrs. Rycroft, take some rest if you're are dizzy."

"Thank you…"

At the other side. "Are you ready, Mr. Parkinson?" Sylvester said.

The shepherd dog-man rubs his shoulder. "Yes… I'm ready."

"Dad, are you hurt?" Sasha worried.

"I'm fine, son."

Lionel Kershaw walked up behind him, "I remember seeing you protecting your back shoulder earlier at the ballroom. Please, excuse me." He checks gently with his right hand until Joshua flinched at the touch.

"Hey! Easy!" Parkinson said.

"You're going to have problems when carrying your son on your back. Let someone do it." Lionel turns to Red. "Russell, think you can carry the boy?"

"But his leg is hurt?" Sasha pointed it up.

"I think it's just a scratch." Red said. "Come on, boy. On my back."

Sasha obeyed, Red crouched down as Sasha climbs on his back. Wrapping around his neck firmly. The lion-man made one step down onto the elevator, crawling on fours slowly. Joshua follows next, Sylvester helps him climb one step down and he'll do the rest. "Who's next?" Sylvester asked.

"We'll go." Killian Maxwell said. Turns to his wife, "Can you manage?"

"Sure, I can do it. You'll be behind me, will you?" Zoey said.

"Yes, I will." He assured.

Red safely escorted Sasha to the other side. Joshua made it without difficulty. Now the Maxwells' turn, Zoey went first as Killian crosses the wrecked bridge behind her. "Be careful, it feels slippery." Said Maxwell.

"It feels very oily if you ask me." She said. "This really feels like we had been taking forever." Said Zoey.

"The sooner you get to the other side, the sooner we arrive at the bow." Killian said.

"That's easy to say. But this ship is bigger than I've imagined."

"Miss Blake, why you don't go next?" Snowdon said.

"But…what about."

Archer stepped in. "Don't worry about us, Miss. Go ahead."

Aubrey then started. "You better cut that gown, Miss Blake. You could trip."

"While these two are busy, I'll just go ahead before the bear-man pushes me to cross." Portia said and met with Sylvester to help her step carefully on the leaned down elevator. She had already torn off her dress to her knees.

"Glad that you're cooperating." Sylvester said.

Kershaw turns at his daughter. "Better go ahead. I'll go last."

Gwen said, "Alright, but, I want to say something, Dad."

"You can save it for later." He said. "Just not now."

Joyce prepared, she crosses the bridge along with Aubrey after Portia crossed. Clover, Pricilla, Megan and Isaac catch up. Then Sidney helps Foxley along as Lani crosses it for the second time. As Rico cross this, Ryder shouted.

"Hey, Snowdon! You don't mind if I look around where this corridor leads to?"

Rico reached the other side and then Snowdon shouted back. "That corridor leads forward to the theater. Wait till the rest of us!"

"Ryder, don't go ahead from us." Kale said.

"I thought I could buy more time." Ryder said. "You know, clear up a path."

Aubrey said to both. "Mr. Snowdon knows what he's doing. We cannot be separated at any cost." Portia scoffed behind her back.

"Gwen, are you ready?" Kershaw said.

"Sure…" But then Floyd went first and clumsily landed hard on the elevator. The black capsule shook a little with some rattling.

Sylvester picks him up. "Hey! Watch it!"

"Sorry…" Floyd recovers. Looking at Kershaw, he smiles. "Huh, big hero, right?" Pointing at him. "Rescued all those women and children from fires. Man, you got elected – you did well, but why quitting then? Couldn't hack it? If what I recall correctly, you couldn't even hang onto your wife."

Kershaw had enough…

"Come on!" Arms spread for ready to fight with him.

Gwen grabbed her father by the wrist. "Dad, let him go. He's just drunk. Okay?"

"I won't feel a thing! Hit me! I'm like Houdini…" After a hiccup, "Alright, fine – couldn't help it."

Sylvester chuckles his drunk jokes before gesturing to pass him. "Come on, go ahead."

"Assholes, both of you." He continues moving through the tracks, using all fours with one hand still holding his flat bottle. Floyd is showing a lot of his movements rather slippery, making pass halfway, he slipped one foot and used both hands to recover, letting go the bottle. His sudden slip startled the group with gasps from the women and twitch jump scares by the men.

The hyena-man shouted. "Damnit!" The small flat bottle of brandy fell into the well with salted Pacific water. The splash wasn't audible by the group, just a tiny sound almost as drip. He looked down when it disappeared from the murky water of bodies below. "That was my favorite bottle!"

Sylvester sighed. "What an idiot…" He stepped on the tracks to give him a hand. The tiger also saw the young human coming by to help. Isaac stepped ahead as Floyd was closer to them.

"Isaac come back!" Pricilla barked.

"I'm going to help him! Jeez." He replied her. He moved much faster to reach the troubled the magician. "Come on, Archer."

"Thank you, kid. I appreciate it." Floyd said. "I'll be fine, go ahead…"

 _BANG!_

"Who the hell is shooting at us?"

Everyone looked up. Another loud bang and then a snap. It sounded close when Snowdon look up the base of the statue. One bolt popping at the time.

Snowdon screamed. "Get outta there!"

Pricilla screamed Isaac's name and begged to come back. She attempted to go get him but was held by Megan away. Sylvester, Isaac, and Floyd – almost in the middle of the tracks – saw the statue making noises. They went what could they go. Sylvester moves towards back with Snowdon and Kershaw as Isaac and Floyd made their way with the rest. Trying not to look back and cross away from danger.

It was swift, the tracks got caught and buckle down into the abyss. Poseidon fell into one piece, falling head first into the water. A giant geyser roars high up to the former floor. Billions of drips fall back down. A huge jerk rattled the entire atrium; the statue impacting the bottom of the former ceiling where the dome was. The pool of water continues making waves as the everything clears up in seconds.

The elevator's track was gone. The group tried to refresh what just happened. They see Sylvester hanging on the edge. The elevator was spared but leaned further downward.

Carolyn screamed. "Sylvester!"

Her children shouted along. "Dad!"

"Where's Isaac?" Clover softly said.

"Archer?" Miss Blake wondered.

"Holy crap! Karma did it again!" Portia cried.

Pricilla screamed; she saw everything. Isaac making it back until the tracks went down with him. Disappearing out of nowhere. She approached the edge and peered down screaming for, "ISAAC!" The beagle-girl kneeled, falling apart mentally as she sobs in agony. Megan picks her up away from the edge. She already knows how she felt when she found Spencer crushed with the girder. All she could do was to comfort her best friend.

Clover just stood there, not at her cousin, the well. Trying not to look down and admitting the consequence in her conscience. "He's dead." She softly said.

Snowdon and Kershaw reached down to Rycroft. "Hang on!" The bear-man said. Each both grabbed a hand and pulled the tiger-man in. The four remaining were cut off from reaching anywhere to the other side. Gwen just couldn't help it and realized she may have delayed her turn for a small reason. The three beast-men exasperated.

Shouting at the others that they are okay. Kershaw said, "Well, we better go back and find another way up."

"Go back?" Snowdon said. "We just came all the way from there. I'm not leaving the others behind. You go that way, you die."

"We didn't look through every other corridor. We must go back!"

"You do what you want. We're getting across!"

"If you got a better idea, I'm all ears…

"No, Kershaw, I don't have another way, but we're getting across!"

"You get stuck here, you die!" Kershaw turns to Gwen. "We're going. Let's go!"

"Dad, no." Gwen cried. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"What?"

She glanced at Snowdon, "Snowdon, can you get me across?"

"Gwen, darling, listen…"

"No! I haven't been in a long time, Dad!" She rummages through her pockets in her jeans and got what she wanted to tell so bad. A ring. She exhaled, facing her father. "Red asked me to marry him."

"Gwen…" Lionel Kershaw was speechless.

"I love him. I need to find a way to go with him."

"Gwen, please, you need to listen to me for a second."

"I'm not going back, Dad."

"You better listen to your daughter, Kershaw. We're going to cross." Sylvester said. He left away from them in a whim.

"Rycroft, where are you going?" Snowdon wondered.

"Thinking!" He shouted. Finding a red box fixed on the wall near by. He opens it up, a rolled-up fire hose well equipped. Picking up the whole of it, Carolyn is being observing her husband's movements and wonders for the fire hose he's carrying. He didn't disconnect it from the box. Coming back where the three are, he slides the head first over the hanging railing as support, wraps the flatten hose around his right forearm.

"Sylvester, what are you doing?" Carolyn shouted.

"Impressing you!" He shouted back. Rycroft looks down at the watery pit. He better not to hit something hard or is over for him. He's been trained, and water is not his concern. Crouched slightly down, leaned forward and thrust himself in the air like a swim athlete. His fall followed the long white hose as trail with a splash. Whole group leaned down.

"He didn't…" Carolyn muttered.

"Son of a bitch…" Snowdon softly said.

Rising from the surface, Sylvester thrust his four limbs through the water. Pushing away floating furnitures and bodies ahead. The swim wasn't the most comfortable with everything sort of getting the way as Sylvester must pass over these unsettling obstacles of bodies. He made some quick inspections at some of the bodies. Trying to find the missing two. Nothing. Sylvester kept swimming until reaching the other side. Deck 6 is one inch flooded. Sylvester grabs the overhanging railing and climbs himself upwards. Meeting up to Deck 5 and stopping on to Deck 4. Sylvester peers his head up above to Deck 3 at the others.

He shouted. "I need some volunteers!" Automatically, Red leaps down to Sylvester. Jett curiously follow along. A sense of excitement was rising as this was the coolest thing his father has ever seen in action. The two meet up as Sylvester pulls the long hose from slack to firm, he then ties the hose all around the hanging railing. He's instructs Jett and Red to hold tight.

Sylvester laughs in satisfactions. "Hey, Snowdon! Kershaw! I did the hard part!" He let out a heavy, "Woah! It's cold."

"Come on, Gwen!" Red shouted from afar.

"How are we…" Gwen tried to think.

"We'll zip-line it." Snowdon said. "I'll go and get something useful."

"Like a hanger?" Gwen suggested.

"Anything like that." Snowdon then left.

Leaving the two lions. Kershaw spokes with sigh. "I knew this day will come."

"I've been meaning to tell you." Gwen said. "But…"

"What is it?"

Gwen chuckled. "You went in first and announced this cruise vacation and invited Red along. You really… I don't know… Everything happened in a whim and I wanted to talk you about this but…"

Kershaw cut her off. "I'm not mad, honey. I should be apologizing from delaying your marriage announcement."

"Now that this is happening, there's no time to lose."

Snowdon came back. He's holding two shiny curved door handles. "Hate to interrupt your family reunion, but you both still want to cross?" He hands over one handle to Kershaw. "I hope you can carry her in a piggy back ride." Kershaw nodded.

"Hey! Come on! What's the hold up?" Red shouted.

Kershaw said to Gwen. "Ready, darling?"

"Yeah." She wraps her arms behind around her father's neck, then straddles her legs on his waist. "I'm ready."

"Hold on tight." Kershaw place the curved door handle on top the makeshift zip-line. "Ready! Here we go!" He thrust with both legs and both are flying. Gwen closed her eyes as Kershaw eyes at the end of the line. "Hang on, baby!"

The landing was cushioned by Sylvester. He stopped them from falling back. Letting go, Gwen rushed towards Red, giving him big embrace. "You okay?" Red asked.

"First time zip-lining. Never again." Gwen stated. Both laughed.

From one deck up. Sasha said with enthusiasm, "That looks fun!"

"Maybe some other time, son." His father said.

Snowdon followed in the clear. Last one to cross the giant well. Meeting up with the group. Gratitudes Sylvester, "Good work, Rycroft. You really have shown your seamanship."

"I don't get the name Lieutenant Rycroft for nothing!" He chuckled.

"Well, you done so well, so far. Can we keep on moving?" Kershaw said.

"Sure, this way up." Said Sylvester. He gestured to climb up one deck up where the rest are waiting.

The _Poseidon_ is suffering a lot pain. The sound of torture steel is rumbling, moaning and bellowing the insides somewhere on the ship. Her heart is wounded, but still pumping air pockets to feed the trapped ones.


	11. Chapter 11: The Breach

Chapter 11: The Breach

The ballroom survivors. Possibly over four-hundred people. The Christmas tree is still left where it is. Snowdon's group had left long ago. Time passed. Survivors continued on with their miserable sojourn what was once a place where they had dance leisurely, celebrated New Year's Eve party and finely dined in luxury. Now is nothing but a giant cage full of livestock sitting around and waiting for help. Living in a nightmare of sorrow as they are just waiting for a miracle to happen.

The control freak of a Hotel Director, Nicolas Collins took full charge. Checking on Dr. Daxner's report on the injured. With many critical and some had already passed away in silence. The still standing with minor injuries continue their cooperation to help the needed, but as time passes they are left but sitting around in quiet around the corner. Some just took a short stroll around the same giant room a few times. Some few chats here and there and nothing more and the rest are just voices of pain and sobbing of the terrified ones.

Some people, both crew and passengers, have asked the hotel manager to go ahead to others that had left with the First Officer. The human glared at anyone who brought that proposal. Replying sharply at them.

"No one is going to leave! I said to stay here and wait for help." And taking as far to state by pointing at the Christmas tree. " _Those_ people who went on that tree are already _dead_! No one is going to get out of here alive if they had listened to me!"

Survivors are left to doubt more than ever by the cold statements of Nicolas Collins. Going up and meet up the expecting rescue team or stay in their safe-haven.

During their wait, they have experienced rocking movements of the ship and muffle explosions that came somewhere on the ship. It scared them, but the crewmen and Security Officer Thomas Furlong kept them calm and staying put. Dr. Daxner, fixed with a makeshift sling on his arm, quietly sits near the injured. They were all covered with table cloths as bandages with pieces of leg chairs on their limbs for support. There's even a line of covered bodies with white table cloths, and blood stains and dirt on it.

The ship rumbling again from a distance made the giant room go silence, a little later they all go back to their pacing mindlessly. Then a muffle explosion was heard and felt below them. A strange sense of pressure in their ears could mean that air was moving somewhere but upward. Dr. Daxner looks at his right at the black windows, bubbles rising to the surface, more and more increased.

Another muffle explosion; this time, it was closer below them. Enough to shake and feel it their feet. A dying groan of metal roared into a sharp, banging thud. It followed a sound of spray, the St. Bernard dog-man startled on his feet, stepping back at the windows. One was letting water leak all around the steel frame. The flow increases, and another followed and repeated with the rest. The thick glasses cracked everywhere from the curved corners of the squared frame, stopping by the two steel bars that each one has that covers safely the windows. It along keep spraying mist of water.

Hundreds witnessing what the windows are doing. Their inner panic that they have recovered from the initial disaster, came back to take over them. Water was coming to them. Furlong tried to take control the ensuing panic, but they all ran to the Christmas tree. Surrounding the bottom of the tree, they all climb like swarming bees to reach the top. Furlong pleaded to keep in an orderly fashion, but the tree shakes with many people having a hold with their weights.

Mr. Collins climbed at the blocked main entrance of the ballroom. He took a hold on the leaver to open the watertight door – it exploded gallons of water rushing out, throwing the human in the process into the ceiling-floor. Drenching over him while unconscious.

The doctor, and others defeated, stayed where they were. Accepting their watery fate. He closed his eyes as he kneeled on the ground. The countless panicking voices rise.

Surrounded by water. One of the windows gave away.

It was loud. Enough for a heart to skip a beat. The thick glass breaking as of thousands of powerful snipers all at once. Scream was their natural reaction. Billions of tiny bubbles ricocheting out through the window. The first burst followed by more breaking windows imploding. The engulfing white tsunami kicked up the debris and everything. Including alive people. They disappeared between the rushing water. The remaining people holding onto the tree, too much weight down below than top. It right itself up in a swift swing. One by one fell and let go their hold and jump off from the tree into the water. The tree splashed onto people. Lying broken with people trying to hold it dearly.

Not one made it to the top.

Surging water went wild around them, washing in circles and disorienting them. The giant ballroom floods with hundreds of screaming livestock. The lights went out as crying, bellowing, snarling, screeching, and roars fought through the darkness.

It echoes all the way to the survivors in the atrium. The group stare at the opposite side where they came from. It was a distance sound that they make up to it as distressed cries. When the group first heard it, they froze. For hundreds of voices calling out for help, they felt helpless. Nothing what they can do. Their faces fell in mourn, sorrow, and grieve.

Sasha was the quietest. His father smelled his fear. He kneels down to face him assuringly. "We're gonna be okay, son." He softly said.

Joyce Blake the rabbit was sobbing in silence. Stephanie hugs with Jett to what felt like the first time they have hugged in years as siblings. Zoey and Killian hold their hands silently together and share their distraught feelings. It felt like it was the first time the group learned how serious they were in and that there is no place to be safe. Their ship, _Poseidon_ , is sinking. Pacific's salted water is invading and claiming lives.

Portia was the same as everyone else but wanted to leave immediately. She knew if she says anything too far from the line, it was too soon and too late to make up the damage.

Luckily, she kept her mouth shut. Killian the cat spoke first. "I think it's time for us to go, Mr. Snowdon."

Officer Snowdon finally spoke since hearing the agony voices. "Let's go."

The group move forward, Megan helps Pricilla to stand up. The beagle-girl looks distraught, not looking at anyone. Just facing down. Clover on the other hand stayed closer to her without even touching her, just as scared as her after Isaac disappeared.

Marching ahead, the corridor leads directly forward at the ship's theater. Still on Deck 3, the group wonders on how to keep climbing up to the next level. Along with the fading screams from earlier, a heavy rumbling sound as if the engines were still working at full speed. It sounded close as a giant cascade, water perhaps has found a way in. A different way in.

Upon moving ahead, tax-free shop's goods –when the ship is in international waters– are scattered around the new floor. Flickering lights buzzes under them and carefully not to step on the fixtures. Souvenirs: t-shirts with the trident logo, key-chains, pens, umbrellas, postcards, and a resin-made replica ship model of the same ship, it's all messed. The other shop was a boutique and a rental shop, glass shattered like a robbery bank and headless mannequins with dresses piled up close to one another but one still hanging on the ceiling with the gown down, revealing the white female legs with no underwear underneath.

The group was quiet for a while, meeting four set of elevators on either port and starboard. Left intact with no signs of damage from the initial capsizing and no bodies nearby. Exactly much ahead a closed watertight door with black and yellow stripes and one flashing yellow light below, sending anyone to pay precaution.

Foxley said. "Through that door it leads to the theater. I don't think there's anything we can do if we go there. It's a giant room after all."

Aubrey said, "There are some pathways and trapdoors for the performers that leads further into the crew member areas."

Then Lani filled in, "But those accesses are too high to reach since we're upside-down."

Picturing a giant upside-down theater was just like the ballroom and everything else on the ship. The black stage above, the two levels of the audience seats hanging above intact, the great royal red curtains sprawled all over wrinkled, and all the equipment and props trashed upon the former ceiling. Likely to be dark in there. No show was in place during the New Year's Eve party event.

"Sounds like a dead-end to me." Ryder the wolf said. "This is the furthest part of the bow as passengers."

Sylvester, while staring at some set of staircases that were facing each other both starboard and port like the elevator doors were, he said. "The theater may be a dead end, but, let's go climbing those stairs."

Stephanie glanced at one of the stairs before turning at her father. "How?"

The now port-side stairs that's facing the opposite stair on the new starboard side is showing the red-carpeted steps. The shiny rails hanging in parallel with the angular steep slope, and on both sides of the middle hanging stair are two shorter, shallow slope which reach half-way to the taller sloped stairs to Deck 2. Somehow, no matter how it looked beside being upside-down, it felt like it was still right side up but with no steps. And still, how can they climb up without sliding down?

Sylvester replying his daughter, "We'll figure it out." The tiger-man went in first, easily climbing up the shallow short slope. Standing on the half-landing, he faced the steeper slope. It was cleaned and white and three aligned lighting fixtures. And five tracks of blood trailing down from above. A hand from an unknown beastmen is exposed at the top, Sylvester couldn't make up the rest as it rests hidden from view than just a hand. He knows one thing to do: get rid of it before Stephanie sees it.

Snowdon and Kershaw followed him behind. The polar bear asked Sylvester, "You think you can climb?"

"Might as well." Sylvester said. He grabbed a hold of one hanging railing with both hands and pulls himself upward against the risen slope. Physical strength is easy for someone like him and some others are lesser to climb it. Sylvester reaches the top, and stares at the dead body, a giraffe-man. He picks it up by the underarms and drags it out of sight of Kershaw and Snowdon.

"What are doing, Rycroft?" Snowdon asked. The tiger put his index finger on his lips at them.

Kershaw got the message. "He doesn't want his daughter seeing dead bodies." He whispered him. The lion-man wasn't in the scene but remembered hearing Stephanie screaming from earlier.

Rycroft came back. "I found another fire hose! Well, come on." He ordered both below. "Climb up!" Snowdon went first, doing the same as Rycroft did.

Before Kershaw would go next, Killian Maxwell went to see their doing up closer. "Well, isn't that bad." He said. "I'm sure I can climb it."

"Easy for you as a cat." Kershaw said. "But others don't have the enough strength climb up this ramp."

"I see." The tuxedo cat nodded. He crouched down and thrust himself up, hands extended forward, as he leaps, grabs the top right at the edge as his both legs meet with his hands. He stands up like nothing happened, keeping his proper posture. "Zoey, come on!"

"Coming." She steps up at the half-way with Kershaw and sees her husband now above. Then Carolyn followed along to see. Zoey leaps up and reaches the top. Pretty flexible for light felines.

Carolyn seeing this, she asks the lion-man. "How do I climb, Mr. Kershaw?"

Sylvester drops the fire hose in a ring form and tied up. "Sweetie, bring the kids!" The tiger shouted above. "Tie it around your waist through the hoop. I'll lift you up to the top."

Kershaw picks the hose and place it above her head and onto her waist. "Hold the knot firmly and let your husband carry you." He instructed. Carolyn nodded.

"Ready? Up we go!" Rycroft and Snowdon pulled as Carolyn is dragged upwards. She holds one hand on the railing above and the other on the hose and steadying her legs against the slope. With minimal difficulty, Carolyn reached the top of the slope.

"Jett. Stephanie. It's your turn." Carolyn ordered.

Snowdon then said to Rycroft. "I'm going to take look around. It won't take too long." He turns to Maxwell and asked to help with Sylvester and pick up the rest down below.

Now on deck 2, five decks had been climbed. The First Officer finds one of the directional maps of the ship placed on a wall. Deck 2 is shown with the red dot indicating "You are here"; in the sets of staircases and elevators, just ahead towards the bow the first level of the theater is shown. Before there, is a corridor that leads to the purser's office and conference rooms. Snowdon knows that there is way to get to deck zero, but he's feeling a dead end soon enough. He rarely had used the crew members' "secret" passages, so passengers cannot see the crew going-ons. He must think bolder.

He went back to the group, so far; Stephanie, Jett, Miss Blake, Foxley, Sasha, Joshua, Gwen, Red, and then Aubrey climbed by herself without aid. "See? I can do it." The horse-woman said.

"Foxley, I need you. Come with me?" Snowdon ordered.

"Yes, sir." The fox-man moves at his own pace with an injured ankle. "What is it?"

"I hope your knowledge of this ship is taking us somewhere no one has ever been." The bear said. "Listen, I think there's no way around here beyond the theater, so is there another sets of stairs?"

Foxley thinks. Thinking on how to get to deck one and zero, he knows there is a set of stairs near to deck 1; the sick bay and the tender service area. The fox-man moves at forward, Snowdon follows, the lights ahead are dimmed darker. A door with a sign "Crew Only" shown below next to a door. "This is another vertical access for crewmen. I think our problems are solved."

He opens the door, but same as earlier in the kitchen, there's a pile of mess of anything that can be imagined as debris. Even the stairs are twisted-mangled. It's incredible that the force of the ship made everything looked destroyed and confusing. "Bugger me." Foxley muttered. His black ears lowered. Turning at Snowdon, "There isn't a way to get through."

Snowdon sighed, "There has to be. Come on, think!"

Foxley is just a steward. He may have earned his topography of the ship, but the deepest bowels of the ship are not his business; he's not an engineer. The fox-man was left in his mind. His lips began to move. He spoke. "There's some kind of air shaft tunnel that meets every deck on the ship."

"Pardon?"

"There was one time when I met a fellow crewman at the mess hall whom talked about fixing the air conditioning unit and had to find the faulty fan in a giant shaft. I don't think you have seen it for yourself."

"And how do you get there?"

"I cannot believe I'm saying this, but we must go find a ventilator shaft."

Back at the stairs, Sidney helps Lani without the hose as it was Clover's turn, it was buying them time. Ryder did the same and picks Kale's trembling hand. "Come on, sonny. I'll pull you up." Doing as he's told, meets up with his wolf-man. "Why are you shaky?"

"It's nothing. I guess from earlier. I'm glad we crossed it sooner." Kale said. "We…uh…come this far. So far…"

"It's okay." Ryder held him close. "It'll soon be over."

Snowdon and Foxley found a ventilator a little further in the dimmed lighted corridor. The squared, grilled cover is screwed on the wall where once was seen over close the ceiling, now lowered close to the new floor. "This is it." Foxley said. "We need the axe that Kershaw is holding."

"And Sylvester has a flashlight." Said Snowdon.

The two suddenly turned their heads at the group near the stair, someone is screaming. Snowdon ran back at the group. The rest aren't panicked but startled. The bear-man looks down the slope; Kershaw, Portia, Rico, Megan and a screaming Pricilla are still down the on half-way landing. On their feet, rushing murky liquid covers their shoes.

Portia shouted, "The water's coming!"

From their view, Rico saw the lights of deck 3 dimming, then flickering and out when the sound of rushing water emerged out of the darkness.

"Hurry!" Megan shouted.

Sylvester and Snowdon dropped the hose. Megan grabbed it. Fastening, she cried, "Pricilla, hurry!" Lending her hand.

The beagle-girl is howling in terror. Petrified at the cold-water surging under her. Portia grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her out of her stress. "Shut up!" She yelled. "Come on! Get up this goddamned ramp!" She got control the canid-girl when Megan fastened her with her.

"Pull!" Kershaw ordered. This time two at the time with five or seven pulling the fire hose at the same time, the girls reached the top in a swift. Quickly getting them off and proceed the three remaining down the slope.

"Hurry!" Portia screamed. Water risen at their knees. They dropped the hose again, Kershaw picks it up and fastens Portia first. Then to Rico. "Come on! Pull!" She shouted.

"Nobody can be as composed as you are, miss." Rico said.

"Shut up, Ricky! Come on!"

"The name's Rico!" The group above pulled them and the two didn't used the hanging railing and walked their feet against the slope, but they got dragged instead when nearer at the top. Kershaw climbs ups by the hanging railings and almost slips his wetted footing before Red holds his wrist and pulled him up.

"Oh, my god!" Portia cried.

"Pricilla, are you okay?" Megan asked. She nodded.

"Kershaw, bring your axe with you!" Snowdon ordered. "We must get going, group!"

"Son of a bitch!" Portia started. "All of this is a bunch of crap! We're sinking and nothing's going to keep us from drowning!"

Rico shouted at her, "Would you shut up! You're safe now, alright?"

Snowdon ordered. "Everybody keep moving!" The group marched on ahead.

"It's all right, Miss Matthews." Miss Blake said, trying to calm her. "There are air pockets all over this ship."

"AIR POCKETS?!"

"Yes, of course," said Sidney Jennings, "just because that deck is flooded, it doesn't mean that this one will."

Aubrey, following behind Snowdon, she asked in a worried. "Mr. Snowdon, how long do you think we'll stay afloat?"

"Long enough." He said without turning at her.

Sasha's voice stepped in as walking next to his father behind them. "I've learned in history that the _Andrea Doria_ took ten hours before it sank."

"Hah, what do you know." Said Ryder. "It's a big ship; then we still have time."

A few yards ahead where Foxley was left waiting, the group stopped their pace when Snowdon half kneeled next to the square, grilled frame. Everyone was puzzled.

"What's this?" Maxwell asked.

"We can't go in there!" Said Stephanie. "We don't know where it goes."

"This is our way to get to the next level, whatever it takes." Snowdon said. "Kershaw, can you do the honors?"

"Certainly." The old lion-man picks his axe and bust open the screwed frame. He hit it multiple times and pulled the whole thing out, ripping it. A black square hole is on view. Sylvester kneeled and used his flashlight before Kershaw used his phone as flashlight. Inspecting the dark, cold vent; there is some connecting vents on both sides. Just directly, Rycroft can make up something ahead, like, light being interrupted by a passing shadow.

"There's something just ahead." The tiger said and stands up. "It better not be a dead end."

"That has to be the vertical funnel shaft." Said Foxley. "A ladder will take us to every deck above."

"How do you know about that?" Jennings asked.

"What your fellow Americans say; I know a guy." Foxley stated.

"I'm going in first." Kershaw announced.

"You?" Joshua doubted. "W-why not Mr. Maxwell? He's slimmer than most of us."

"Why I should be first, sir?" Said Maxwell.

The lion-man already sent his head in and pairs of legs disappearing. Banging and rumble was heard. The group could not believe it. Sylvester leaned in with the flash light and the aluminum vent was dented outwards, slightly widen as Kershaw was grunting his way.

"Hey, Red! Come on over here!" The lion-man shouted, the voice echoed back in a muffle.

"Might as well give him a chance to kick me in the head." Red chuckled at Gwen. The young lion-man bends down and went inside the vent. Gwen went after.

Snowdon turned to Sylvester, "Rycroft, think you can guide the rest at last row? I want to be sure everyone is present."

"Sure, no problem." Rycroft said. "Who wants to go next?"

" _I'm_ next!" Portia said. "So, if big-assed horse gets stuck in there, I won't get stuck behind her." She squeezed in and disappeared through the vent, thumping against the cold ventilator.

Ricardo quietly looks at Aubrey with disbelief at what she had said. The brown horse-woman replied to him, "Well, there are times that I have this allusion that maybe my thighs are a little too big. Not to mention: at the Christmas tree."

"Don't let her get in the way." Rico said.

"She's just desperate." Stephanie stated.

Sasha was next, then his father behind him. The vent was dark, humid with moist all over it. The air conditioning system is absent after the initial impact. "Are you okay, son?" Joshua said.

"I think so…" Sasha said. Crawling on all fours like fast-food playground tunnels, but not so colorful and playful. It's rather scary and cramped.

Jett, Stephanie, and Carolyn went inside after Joshua. Ryder and Kale slides in before Snowdon followed and let Rycroft take care the rest of the group. Rico then slides in and then Aubrey kneeled as her turn.

"Miss Blake, take your turn." Rycroft said.

"I'll wait till last." The rabbit-woman said.

Aubrey stopped and lend her hand. "Come on, darling. We mustn't wait."

Miss Blake went in first before Aubrey crawls inside. Zoey and Killian were directed next. Then Rycroft eyed at the younger girls. "Come on, little miss, your turn." He said to Clover.

The young beagle-girl nodded and went in. Then Rycroft turned to the older beagle-girl. "Your turn; get in."

She was shaking, she shook her head. "No, I can't."

"Pricilla," Megan said, "we must to get in. The water is coming."

"I said I can't!" She cried. "I'm claustrophobic!"

Rycroft could not waste time. He signaled at Foxley to go in; he obeyed. Rycroft whispered at Sidney for a little hand. He nodded. Sidney told Lani to go ahead and she crawled inside the vent. The four remaining were in a high tension of slowly rising water.

One more time, Sylvester asked Pricilla. "Pricilla, we'll be behind you. Get in the vent."

"I'm sorry, I can't." She whined.

"Pricilla, please. Clover already went in. She's gonna be worried."

"You're lying! She doesn't! She left me here!"

"I'm not gonna leave you here. You would have gotten in if it were Isaac helping you instead. He would've done the same way."

"I've told you I can't!"

"Then might as well stay here until you make up your mind."

"Or just now!" Rycroft said. He grabbed her around her waist, she yelped. Before she could kick, Sidney already hold her legs and both hold her like a log. Megan saw their actions, she went inside first as Rycroft took her in behind her. She was screaming as darkness ensues in the ventilation. Rycroft and Jennings kept her from escaping, the beagle-girl is banging a lot. Speaking in frustration again and again.

"Leave me out! Leave me out! Leave me out!"


	12. Chapter 12: Ventilation

Chapter 12: Ventilation

Inside: cold, slippery, dented either by Kershaw's broad shoulders or earlier damage from the capsizing. The group crawls through cramped darkness of vents. They barely make up to what they see ahead than just the pair of feet of the individual in front of them. With Sylvester the only one with a functioning flashlight is at the very end of the tail while Kershaw still uses his mobile cellphone as flashlight.

Just ahead, Kershaw stopped. "Halt!" He shouted everyone behind. He reached the end, it was open without any cover like earlier. The lion-man leaned down his head upon seeing…

Across him was a white-painted, upside-down number two. Three was present and four was half submerged. It was vertical, cylindrical and dimmed dark. There was back up lights for each number to see. As Kershaw was peering down, water is gurgling in bubbles and some vents were outing water as cascade. He looks up and to his left was a ladder running the whole height of every deck. At the very top, and behind a net-like grill in circular form was a three-bladed fan still spinning, but slowly. After deck two, above, it follows to deck one and stops to deck zero.

"We've found it." Said Kershaw.

"Is there a way out?" Red from behind said.

"Yeah, we can climb up with the ladder." He squeezed with his legs out from the vent. Thankfully, a small ledge below which the whole shaft is "ribbed" around in circles, Kershaw and the rest can step on it and grab a hold of the ladder on their left. Using all fours, he looked directly at Red and Gwen peering out their heads. "Whatever you do: do not look down. Now, follow me. One step at the time."

Red grabbed a hold of the ladder as Kershaw climbs up in the clear, giving space for Red to ascend. Glancing at Gwen still on fours in the vent, he said. "Can you manage?" She nodded. She actually looked down, looks more unsettling than the atrium. Water is making cascades down below.

"Hey, what's going on?" Portia shouted behind Gwen. "Keep on moving!"

Red started his climb, Gwen slowly followed. Portia finally appeared and saw the odd place. She looks up and down. "I wasn't cut out for this." She muttered. "I should have worn pants."

"It seems congratulations are in order, Red." Said Kershaw. Taking baby steps at each handle.

"Thank you, sir." Replied Red. "I'm glad she finally told you."

"Well, tradition might have had you coming to me first."

"Yeah, I know that. And I wanted to, I really did, but she made me promise not to say anything. She's really careful when it comes to you, sir."

Down under, Sasha peeks out of the vent, seeing Portia climbing up before looking down. "Um, Dad, don't look down okay?"

"Don't worry, son." His father said. "Get on the ladder and one step at the time. I'll be behind you."

Kershaw stops at the very top, meeting with the number zero next to him. He places one foot on the short ledge, he leaned in at the vent to his left. Head first and crawls back inside. He lights his phone's flashlight through the dark, hard to make up what's ahead. On the other hand, the vent is much wider than the one below.

"How, is it?" Red peers his head before he could crawl inside.

"I'm sure there's another way out of this vent." The lion-man said. "Get in."

Below, Jett Rycroft exit the vent and waited for Parkinson and Sasha to take their time. Just in time, he sights further above as the pair of legs of Red sink in through the ventilator above before the lioness could follow. In the clear after the two shepherds made some climbing, he scooted on the ladder in a swing. His sister and mother's heads peaked out.

"Careful, Mom." Jett said. His voice echoes the vent. "Better keep looking up."

"I promise I won't nauseate." Said Carolyn. "Keep climbing, honey."

Stephanie said, "Dad's coming, right?"

Ryder the wolf's voice answered behind, "He's at the last row; dealing with a claustrophobic beagle."

"Clover?" She asked.

"No, I think the older one. She's barking a lot." Ryder said. He can hear distant shouts of a panicking person in the most stressful situation. "Don't stand there, please, keep on moving."

Jett had already started climbing, Stephanie holds the ladder and catch up, but Carolyn told her to slowdown. The adult tigress stands on the ladder, taking her normal pace to climb up. Seeing her children taking their precaution on anything coming ahead. But they all stopped for a moment.

Portia just entered the squared mouth of the vent, but Parkinson's voice stopped her from going. "Miss, please, stop right there."

The female human in green silk turns around with her unamused face. Somehow half glaring and half wondered at the older dog-man. "What do you want?"

"Could you please help my boy to reach you. He's too short."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "Come on, puppy." She extended her hand and Sasha could place a foot on the ledge as she nearly bragged him inside. "There, now I'm on my way." She proceeds her crawling, leaving Sasha close the opening as his father crawls in.

"Keep crawling, Sasha." Joshua ordered.

"She's really mean." Sasha stated.

"Why, did she said something to you?"

"No, but she doesn't want to be near with others."

"She'll be fine. Now, let's not hold up the others behind."

Below, Ryder and Kale exited out the vent after Carolyn, holding the ladder, Ryder said to Kale below. "This is great, Kale. The shaft leads up."

"So, what we do at deck zero?" Kale wondered.

From below, Oscar Snowdon replied. "That very deck, the Broadway corridor covers almost the length of the ship, including the bow engine thrusters."

Rico, who was behind him. "So, we are close." Realized in relief.

"We're almost there? Thank havens." Said Miss Blake, behind Rico.

Above; Jett, Stephanie, and Carolyn proceed through the top vent in the orderly fashion. With Ryder the wolf waiting for the older tigress to crawl in the vent. Snowdon ascended with Rico behind him. Blake just hesitated but Aubrey made sure she wouldn't turn back; the cruise director quietly climbs. Zoey and her husband waited, both cats looked up as Rico slips inside the last vent. Then half helping a hand to Blake to step inside. Some could do it, but some are just afraid to make a miscalculation to get inside.

Now that Aubrey has ascended further, Zoey could climb up. Killian followed as young Clover stopped right close at the exit. "What?"

The fox-man was behind her. "Everything alright, young lady?"

"I'm fine." She wasn't expecting this.

"Don't let the others wait. Your sister is frightened afar."

"She's not my sister." She nearly shouted him. A part of her was feeling broken as she hears her cousin sobbing in a tight space. "I'm sorry." Nothing more and bravely stepped on the ladder. Seeing the tuxedo cat-man already at the top with Zoey.

Foxley carefully stepped on the ledge as he exits out the vent, with one sprained ankle, he looks up the tall shaft. Taking a hold with both hands on the horizontal steps and one leg firmly on one step and with the other hurt not touching anything, he'll be hopping on the way or pushing himself up with his arms and his unhurt leg taking the steps. Even Lani asked him.

"Are you sure you can climb, Kameron?"

"Of course, I can climb." He proudly said.

Lani soon follow and ascends nears close to him, making sure she doesn't get kicked by his shoes. Just then, Megan peeked out. But the rambling of fast-moving crawling coming up behind her as the panicking Pricilla moved right next to her. Screaming, "Get me outta here!"

Ahead of the group, Kershaw stopped, meeting with a cover vent. Trying to see anything through the thin openings with one eye. Very little, but some lighting to make up. With both hands, he tries to push it. Grunting with puff of air.

"Use the axe." Red said.

"Very funny." He moves his whole body, turning around. Glad the vent is slightly bigger, he pressed his feet at the grilled cover. Turning his head at Red, "Come on, press on my back. I'm kicking it."

Red turns around with his back and presses against Kershaw's back, the lion-man kicks hard the cover with both of his feet, banging multiple times until popping out the frame. It flew across and crashing to another wall. Letting out more trashing noises before ceasing its rattling like an unbreakable china. "We can get out now." Kershaw thrusts with both hands grasping a hold of the squared frame, pulling out his whole body out where there isn't any cramped space. Standing up slightly sprained as he arcs his back. Watching Red exiting out and lending a hand to Gwen as she crawls out standing up.

Back inside, Sidney and Sylvester had managed to keep the beagle-girl moving forward. Pricilla sobs as she wheezes in fear. Megan is already on the ladder, trying to instruct her.

"Pricilla, get on the ladder." The cheetah said.

"I don't want to." She sobbed.

Sidney said to her, "We're trying to help you, Pricilla. All you need to do is to climb on that ladder. Don't look down, okay?"

Killian watches below as Clover making her way up, she looks down at Foxley already catching up. Lani watches below him as the fox-man is making risky moves with the ladder, hopping his only unhurt leg and pulling himself up with both hands to support his body. Clover turns up and meets with up Killian at the top.

"Think you can help him, sir?" She said.

"I was hoping for that, miss." Confirmed Killian. Clover made her way in, she didn't continue and decided to wait, Zoey was still next to her husband, giving an extra hand with the troubled fox-man. Foxley was breathing hard when he made it to the top. Killian lend him out a hand, with one foot out on the ledge to stay firm and Zoey holds him by the arm. "Come on, Foxley. Get in here."

Foxley frees his left hand, maybe trying to sacrifice his hurt ankle to step on the ledge–the lights flickers and the vertical tunnel trembles when the ship rumbles in pain. Destruction from somewhere echoes in throughout the shaft. Killian felt Zoey grabbing him back, he shouted; "Don't move!"

The lights blacks out, moaning metallic trembles rattles inside. A male yeller blares clearly everyone's ears, a second of recovering lights, another screamer, a girl, sights something falling at the darken pit. It resulted a metal thud and then a splash. The lights recovers, the quake ceases, slightly dimmer to fading the numbers on the curved walls. Lani opened her eyes, reacted by bracing hard on the ladder, he looks above and…

"W-what? Where's…?" Trying to understand her disorientation, she looks down and see the cheetah-girl still holding and the beagle-girl present.

"Kameron!" It was Sidney Jennings who screamed. Trying to see the emerging water, Sylvester lights down the well, water had already covered the number four with three now half-submerged. The flashlight spots the back of the fox-man's blazer with spreading red liquid. Sylvester leaps down, splashes down as the sinking body disappears the gurgling water.

Sidney, frightened, waits for the tiger-man, he dived down to the rescue. Keeping his dark colored hands holding at the edge of the vent, cold liquid passes through his four limbs. The flow thickens and speeds up until a foam of water pushes his body out the vent. He grabbed the ladder in a quick instinct but both legs failing to find a hold, water cascading his whole face. Letting go, he let his whole body sink into the rising water. Rising his head out and grabbing back on the ladder. He can now see better and saw Sylvester out the water, holding a closed-eye fox-man. "Kameron? How's he?"

Sylvester had examined him, a mortal wound behind his head. Blood stains Sylvester's hands. Stressed, Sylvester painfully replied to Jennings, "I'm so sorry, Jennings."

Lani's voice shouted from above, "Sid, is Kameron okay?"

Killian sights below with his head down in despair. "I could have stop it." He whispered.

Zoey holds him close, "You did what you could." Killian didn't want to make a fight with her as she only dragged him to avoid a similar fate. Telling him not to move should have been his reaction, but why he fell? Then Killian saw a missing handle that wasn't there before. Gone, pulled away from the two in between bars.

Just then, Snowdon crawled back. Seeing three people still close the opening vent. "What's taking so long?" After the rest ahead had exited, they waited a little after Aubrey was the last to crawl out. They were left hanging when they heard some screams. The polar bear-man when back in. Making way and ordering the three to get moving, but Clover refuses, Killian and Zoey move ahead instead. "Come on, kid. Get going." Snowdon ordered.

"No, I'm not leaving Pricilla and Megan." She remarked

He ignores her and peers down and shouted. "Rycroft, what's going on?"

"We lost Foxley!" Sylvester shouted back.

"My god…" Snowdon stressed, rubbing his fingers on his muzzle and bridge between eyes.

"Sid!" Lani kept on shouting, she didn't receive a respond from him.

Sylvester responded her, "He's okay." Jennings' sobs weren't audible through the shaft. Holding the fox-man's body with his arms. "Hey, there's nothing we can do."

"I can't go on like this." He sobs and sniffles. Breathing broken.

"We cannot bring him up from here."

"But I can't leave him like this."

"I'm sorry, but…" The tiger-man checks both the fox's wrist, taking off the wristwatch. "Here…take this. You know what to do."

"Pricilla?" Megan called. "We must keep moving."

The beagle didn't reply, she just stood there facing at the ladder with eyes closed. Sylvester gave Jennings some space. He resumes his ascend until meeting up with the beagle above him. "Miss?" Looking up a further at the cheetah, she was concerned. She made three steps further to see if she was moving, Pricilla didn't respond to that. Rycroft climbed up to meet her up right behind her. She was shaking smell of fear. "Pricilla?" Rycroft started.

"I'm sorry… I can't move… I can't." She strained her voice, it was weak after yelling through the cavernous metal tunnels.

Rycroft tried to soothe her like he would with Stephanie. "It's all right, Pricilla. Just don't think anything else. Just look up or at the ladder–don't think of anything except the ladder."

"I don't wanna go back to that vent! Please, don't make me!" Pricilla agitated.

Snowdon banged against the metal with his palm, "Come on, keep on moving. It's now or never!" Lani and Megan obeyed, but the cheetah hesitated but resumed, giving space for the three down below.

Rycroft ignores Snowdon's orders. "I'm sorry, but we must keep moving. Okay? Step-by-step." Slowly, Pricilla took the first handle. "That's it, slowly." Panting timidly, she took her own pace on the ladder.

Jennings quietly climbs in the ladder; his wet clothes drains out. Slowly climbs behind Rycroft and Pricilla without saying a word. Eyes mixed with salted-water and tears on Jennings' face, he repeatedly hesitated to step every handle as he slowly separates from his colleague…

…and a good friend…


	13. Chapter 13: Deck Zero

Chapter 13: Deck Zero

At the other side, the party waited. Zoey and Killian exited out. Soon Clover, Lani, and Megan appeared. Finally; Pricilla, Sylvester, Snowdon, and lastly, Jennings exited. Pricilla didn't panic all the way after entering back at another vent but sobbed through mental stress.

Carolyn made quietly to Sylvester and hugged him. She was anxious of waiting. Jennings stood quietly for brief moment and sat down with his knees close under his chin against the wall next to the black tunnel. When all saw his expression of someone being traumatized by shock, they soon felt like someone is absent.

Miss Blake the rabbit said. "Where's Foxley?"

Sylvester breaks the embrace from Carolyn, and the others that have been delayed through the shaft quieted. Jennings was getting close to break apart as he whimpers in pain. Sylvester quietly replied her and the rest, "He fell…in the shaft."

Lani scoot closer with Jennings. His hands hiding the mess from everyone. He then made an obstructed muffling speech, he sobbed, "We couldn't do nothing." Lani said nothing but kept on comforting him, rubbing his shoulder.

In their minds of "this can't be happening" was solid throughout. It has shown its merciless nature. As inexperience than just learning how to make a fire in the forest, danger is lurking at every corner. Death telling when it is time to go unannounced.

"Why you couldn't save him?" Portia glared at the tiger.

Sylvester was taken aback, but his wife defended, "He did all he could. Don't bring it up in front of Jennings!"

Snowdon started before any bickering could hold in place. "Alright, everyone. We wouldn't be in here if it wasn't for Foxley that knew about the air-shaft. I'm sure he'll want us to keep moving, or else, his death will be meaningless."

Where they are, an alleyway corridor with two doors on each side. If they make up the topography, the now starboard side alleyway is a blank dead end. Moving the other direction, they meet a long, dimmed corridor. Wider for the moving traffic of crew members was the named Broadway on Deck 0. The long corridor that drives almost the full length of the ship. Every crew member's post crosses by non-stop; engineers, officers, waiters, entertainers, cooks and cleaning staff wander this street-like corridor.

The lighting fixtures were still alight but dimmed; not enough to beam the new ceiling. It's getting noticeable that the emergency power was dwindling. For any of the beastmen who possess nocturnal vision won't be worried except the remaining humans. Just as the group come a cross the long corridor, there was a smell of smoke they have noticed when they exited the ventilator, but then it came another ghastly smell of burnt hitting their nostrils. Sylvester, the only one with a real flashlight, swipes the beam of light at a grotesque underworld. Kershaw the lion with his phone, lights at the black figures resting quietly on the ground around them.

They were everywhere…

"They're all dead…" Stephanie whispered in fear and stepped further behind Jett.

Upon inspection, bodies had been exposed from first to third degree burns on their faces or any part of their bodies that had been exposed from their clothing, every little it protected them. The among dead beastmen with fur or feather had been roasted to bare skin to meet second- and third-degree burns. Their bodies are in early decomposition stage. Kershaw concluded, "Flash fire. It superheats the air and... burns the lungs like rice paper."

The long corridor's walls are roasted into soot. The surviving crew, especially Miss Blake the rabbit, cannot make up the formerly white-painted Broadway. Everything looks different.

Aubrey the horse-woman covers one hand on her front muzzle from the ill-odor of the dead. The group of twenty-three waited for a brief second on what to do now on this deck. Lost track of time, they know they have climbed many decks and recollecting from the start from the ballroom to deck zero might felt quite a long process. Water have invaded the decks they have come through below them to which incredible that the ship is floating still on the surface. It had been a long journey to make it this far alive here.

Snowdon quickly found a deck plan plate on the wall, he had to kneel to face it. The deck plan of Deck Zero was more detailed than the passengers' deck plans. With the long corridor simply visible at first close glance, it proves its utility the longitude of the ship. The "you are here" red dot was in the near middle forward section which the bow was pointing at Snowdon's right.

"Everyone, listen to me." He said. Everyone paid attention. "Down this corridor is the bow, eh? There's an access hatch right there that puts us into the bow-thrusters room. We get into the propeller tubes and the only thing between us and the outside is nothing."

"Sounds a good plan to me." Said Aubrey.

"Sorry to interrupt," Ryder said, "but I have feeling we cannot go on without Jennings behind."

"You all go ahead then." Lani said. "I'll stay with him."

"Who wants to stay for a break?" Portia said and raised her hand.

"Are we really taking a break? We really climbed a lot of decks." Rico said.

"All that water that has been following us, I don't think we should." Sylvester said.

Snowdon declared, "If you all want to stay here for a while that's fine, but I'm going to the bow to find that hatch. We're almost there, people."

"I want to take a brake." Portia hissed. "Since we're almost there since you're already confident about it, so might as well stay here until you come back and clear the path."

Snowdon ignores her but took it in consideration for the whole group. "Might as well." He turns to the tiger-man, "Rycroft, take charge of the group. Kershaw and I will go on ahead and look at the bow. We'll clear up anything in our way, come back, and escort all of you out to safety. It's that clear?"

The group nodded or vocally agreed. Snowdon and Kershaw started their short journey to the bow corridor. The lights fixtures flickered a bit and came back on. Both beastmen disappears through the dark, the lights faintly shined their figures. The group, standing somewhere in the Broadway corridor, and surrounded with lifeless bodies, they one-by-one sat down either side of the walls. With Sylvester taking charge for the time being, there's nothing more to do but wait.

"I know we're pretty quiet here, but there isn't anything to do but talk here." Sylvester said.

"Humph, given the circumstances about the situation we're in, it's not easy to break up the silence." Rico said. "Right now, we broke it. I know most of us don't know who each other, but we can start with one question that all of us we can answer; Why we're on this cruise?"

"Easy," Sasha started, "we're on vacation."

"I'm sure there's more to it, son." Joshua the shepherd said. "But yes, I came on this cruise for the holidays and away from work and spend time with Sasha. My wife, Claire, was going to join but business got in the way and she's in Hilo waiting for us."

"Mom and Dad are really busy and I'm the only boy in the family." Sasha remarked.

"You're lucky that I'm keeping you closer at all times, so I can see you growing up."

Then Zoey spoke. "Well, I'm here with my husband for the honeymoon cruise. I even met other newly-wed couples on this trip." She paused of how others short lived marriages ended so soon. She trailed off, "They all gone…"

Killian was quiet, too. The only surviving honeymooners on the ship of all the thirty couples onboard. Killian Maxwell knows the meaning of death. He had been emotional with his firsthand accounts. From grandfather to his...

…his first wife…

Zoey knows the existence of his first marriage. Killian was keeping it simple, but so far, she had seen strong emotions coming from the tuxedo cat. Like that time when she was seasick. All fully worried sick of anything to the most least concerned illness. She has wondered if he needs some help to reconcile the past. Killian, on the other hand, is a different motive. He was willing to move on, it took him two years, but afraid to face the similar consequences he had dealt in the past. Meeting the Vancouver-born Zoey Cosasko was a beautiful start of a friendship since college in Seattle. After graduation, he works as a car salesman, then promoted to supervisor of the car company, a great car expert by his colleagues, while Zoey started her gymnastic career and later mayor's secretary of Seattle. They have never bumped into each other since then nor knowing their personal life shared. Killian over a year as salesman, met the first Mrs. Maxwell, a tricolored calico cat named Valerie Dolores. A talented hairstylist, she recently broke off with her old boyfriend two weeks prior encountering Killian when she was looking for a new car. It was awkward when Killian met her while showing an ideal car for her. None the less, he won a heart from her.

Happily married for five years, living together in a fine apartment. Time flew blissfully for both. Traveling around the world together with Royal Trident Lines from Alaska to Australia, and Mexican Rivera to South America. Meeting the friendly crew onboard that they got to know their names and favorite food, it was the sweet life.

On a Labor Day weekend, Killian came back from work and normally expect Valerie to come comeback later. She routinely closes the hair saloon before taking the subway. Very little was known as she always takes the same substation. It was rush hour. Back home, Killian made dinner as he waits for her. Her absent became more visible and call her, texted her, and message her whereabouts.

Nothing.

He made towards the apartment lobby and exited out the building. His surroundings on the big city was blaring sirens of police cars, firefighting trucks and ambulances. Ignoring these accustoms of the city life, he called the closest people that surrounds Valerie's life. They all respond the same thing: they haven't seen her. She didn't call him on anything or calling her friends and relatives. She went all silent all the sudden, and Killian knew she was never the type that goes quietly unannounced. Considering her missing was too soon for police standards. He went to visit the hair salon but was closed. He kept calling her and did the same routine to what she does when leaving or coming to work. Walking to the closet station, but only to meet two police officers guarding the station entrance. Asking what's wrong, they informed him about an underground derailment. Hearing the news was back-stabbing. It never came to mind to his conclusion that a disaster had came upon.

Time went by, Killian never went to bed until finding her. Limited from getting near the entrance but seeing every sacked body one-by-one being picked up. A few severed injured were rescued. A few with minor injuries but walked away safely. But more bodies appeared from the station's entrances. Desperate, looking through hospitals and asking the medical staff with a picture of her. Time was slow for Killian, the longest and the worst weekend he ever spent. He did everything he could to find her. His friends, and his brother Tony forced him to go back home and take some rest. Tony took over and since Killian only searched through hospitals. He feared and took into consideration to claim a likely body. Of the 200 dead on the subway derailment with a few 28 survivors. Valerie Maxwell's body was identified…

…Killian holds Zoey's hand, slightly tight as his emotions came back as the capsized ship was all too familiar as the train wreck itself. More people died all around him…

He cannot let this pass and cause more harm on others and especially his Zoey and him…

"That's horrible!" Stephanie said. "Were there a lot of newly-weds onboard?"

"I'm afraid so." Said Miss Blake the rabbit. "It was the peak season."

"Other than honeymooners," said Ryder, "how many people carried this tub?"

"Two-thousands? I don't know." Said Rico. "So, back to the first question…"

"Ah, right! I looked forward this such trip with my partner, if you catch my drift." Ryder said and pointing his human boyfriend whom had been quiet but listening.

Kale, as a part-time artist and psychologist, seems a bit out of place when he's a bit of a timid man, but collected, and has the confidence of giving people's advice for life improvements of the individual, at the same time he had been observing everyone's behavior in this first-hand account scenario. All thanks to a certain wolf-man who brought him up with all great support when he needed one. Naturally, Rico had seen both of their personality somewhat clear; the quiet one and the energetic one. They both met after college, different universities, in the same apartment building five floors apart, but their schedules arriving back at the lobby was almost the same or meeting up on the same elevator without trapping them inside. It took awhile for Ryder to break Kale's shell, only to find out that despite his lack of interactions with him, he works as a psychologist, dealing with other people's problems which requires interaction. Although, a quiet man that listen personal issues and uses his art skills to express these psychological conditions and about himself, paints with colors against the blank canvas. Impressed, Ryder had been admiring him since then…

Until that awkward kiss…

It was a romance waiting to happen. Both sharing and hanging out together that Ryder had grown to Kale so much that he confessed in the rightest moment to reveal. He was afraid that Kale might reject him and because he had never seen him hanging out with someone, not even a girl, or in a gay bar. He didn't have any clue of his orientation, but the wolf's feelings were pounding through his chest that screams "I'm in love". Kale, surprised, he gave him a go, but the thought of an inter-specie romance was what got him in doubt. Despite that it is very common on couples of the same-sex than the opposite-sex.

He did have the difficulty to say that he did love him back. Kale brought it up sometimes in the first weeks of their developing relationship, stating that he felt it was all too soon. Ryder thought he was putting a lot into thought of this doubting feeling he was going, almost like an identity crisis of his orientation. At one point, a cousin of Ryder assumed that Kale might be zoophobic without prejudging at others and the thought of romancing one was wrong…

That "wrong" part statement from his cousin made Ryder wondered if Kale had a conservative but somewhat of a hypocritical demeanor but at the same time unfitting. One night, Ryder tried to talk Kale of their doubting relationship. After a tough, diplomatic argument, Kale then realized that in his middle school years, he once heard his grandfather negatively expressing his opposition on inter-specie couples and creating "monsters" is an act against nature. While it is true about hybrids that have health problems and there are a few exceptions as long that they are of a close related species that are less likely to face genetic deformations. But in this case, Kale was a young boy with unfamiliar controversial subjects that soon will hear it in the future and his grandfather just stated his opposition on inter-specie opposite-sex couple rather than the same-sex, this small detail affected him prior to meeting Ryder for the first time. Clearly to Ryder, he got one gigantic misunderstanding or got the idea wrong the whole time. Even Ryder had to state: "You and me cannot get pregnant! We're both guys of different species". Ryder easily convinced Kale of his long-time misconception from his grandfather, he had felt like a fool and that it meant for all types (homo and hetero, even if they cannot conceive) and that same-specie couples should be on the same boat. Besides, the Maxwells are of a different specie of cats; a tuxedo and a Russian blue.

A new feeling inside Kale came, and that was freedom. Now that his grandfather passed away but never got to see his grandson's outing in college but likely he would have disowned him big time, but never the less, Kale still loves his granddad who he was. With so much exciting euphoria, Kale kissed the wolf-man back and said, "I love you, too." And since then, he made love-theme paintings in billions of colors. Decided to also enroll in marriage counseling of his career. All thanks to Ryder.

After Ryder's statement. Portia said. "Huh, they would usually go on an all-gay cruise." She turns to Rico. "So, how about you, Rico?"

Rico wasn't interested, especially from her. But spoke, "I'm a blogger, and travel agent. I looked forward to review the islands and the ship."

"Curious, as a travel agent, how many people did you booked on this ship?"

Rico is an expert in this, but she's pushing on the drama. The Hispanic human kept his mouth shut from her. He knows how many people from New York he had booked them on. Ryder and Kale are the only ones left. He glared at her.

"Nothing?" She scoffed, "I guess you're lucky that none of them would put up a lawsuit on you."

"And you're lucky that I'm not gonna give you a big-ass cookie on your face." Rico is triggered with acid inside his near-empty stomach. And by cookie, he meant a slap on her face in Spanish references.

"Hey, stop it, Matthews." Aubrey the horse warned. "How dare you manipulate at others in a time like this."

"Easy, I'm just asking."

"These two are my costumers," Rico announced, pointing at the wolf-man and human, "are you now happy? They are also my closest friends. The only people that I could convince to come this far. Can we, please, keep the conversation at ease?" Rico recompose of his anger from this manipulating being.

Rico Marrero admits that she's worse than Clara. Clara wouldn't play someone's feelings like that. She was a kind young lady, but the spark in life had deteriorated between Rico and her the moment he moved to New York. Rico longed to leave his home country due lack of opportunities and monstrous hurricanes erasing paths for the mass. Despite that, he had started working in the tourism industry as an agent and part-time service clerk at the San Juan Harbor cruise ship terminals. Frustrations on politics and economy, Rico gathered his savings for his future until he got a job offering in New York. He took it without objections without any motive of the so-called American Dream. While there as a full-time travel agent and later part-time internet blogger, financially secured, he met Clara who also moved from her home country and works in a bank as a office clerk. Rico was an idiot for his part upon falling in love with her. He wasn't worried anymore, he didn't care the whole world if it was going to end, and nor give a single fuck about how tough New York's city life is. It took him a week to call her before saying the later.

He wanted to show her what he can do and fix the problems they could face ahead, but most of it could end to fail for Rico. While she was the traveling type, they would let go of their weight on their shoulders when nothing is about to collide them. He did the same thing one last time this previous December…

That yesterday's December was the comet that collide them apart. Maybe earlier after Thanksgiving. Rico's first holidays for family gatherings, after moving to New York, for Thanksgiving and later Christmas' Eve/Christmas Day and Día de Los Reyes made him a bit of an airhead. Knowing he cannot spend all three holidays flying back and forth constantly and the holidays in America are different than Puerto Rico's ways of holidays from late November to first half of January. Clara knows well his overly caring mother that likely pressures him and making him kind of guilty of not being present and close with his family. All he could do freely is rather spend one holiday once per year as he did his first one, only visiting for Christmas until New Year's Eve, not minding Día de Los Reyes in early January.

The second year in living New York City and the next upcoming holidays. He was fully motivated coming back again to see his young cousin Tiago. As far as he can remember, Tiago was born when Rico was 11-years old. He saw him growing up the many times he got the chance to see him, knowing him more than anyone else than his paternal uncles did that Tiago sees him as his big-brother. For the first time he really cared for him even more after he left for New York. And the times for the holidays pressure, Tiago knows how to make him feel like family without worrying the constant disarrays the island country is having. Rico can finally call someone who is not the only one in the family like him. He was smart, open-minded, optimistic and aware of the going ons without feeling down. He's now sixteen years old and capable of knowing how the world works. That was the good and optimistic side of Rico, and Clara loves that soft part of him.

But the next future holidays to the present, soon got further in the way for Rico and Clara. Discussing their plans to be spent for the holidays, there's always a pros and cons. Rico had admitted his poor connections with Clara's mother, but Clara always states that even her previous boyfriends weren't well liked by her mother. It's always her looking for flaws on every man she brought over the house. Not even married, she even patronizes him every moment as a mother-in-law; through the phone. Rico cannot even fit in well with her brothers and only a handful of her cousins had given him great sympathy.

Clearly, Clara admits her family isn't perfect and so as Rico's. With weight on their shoulders and lack of diplomatic arguments, almost eating each other and throw each other's face. Their fellow neighbors sent them complains to the landlord and almost getting in trouble for domestic abuse. They both eventually slept on separate beds; Rico on the couch. He thought he got it all: a decent job, a nice girlfriend and a better life than his home country. But there are still untied knots that haven't been checked. How to fix this? If Tiago knows how to solves problems, he could do it, too. Started making breakfast for Clara every morning, reorganizing and changing his agenda, trying to make omens to Clara's family, especially her mother, even if she rarely accepts his omens. Seeing Clara's text messages on his phones being optimistically in good mood when asking about her day and at work.

Deciding not to spend the holidays without anybody but themselves, Rico subconsciously booked the Royal Trident Cruise to the Hawaiian Islands which many customers that came through the course of the year as there were still selling staterooms in the lower category of ocean view cabins or interior cabins. He booked for two.

He hoped that this could reconcile his affairs that he poorly handled in the beginning of Clara's relationship. A week left before the December 28th departure from Long Beach, Rico came back home and saw Clara's bags packed than normal. It was more than it was needed. She really packed to the brim. Rico knew that this isn't her way of packing. She was there in the couch and wanted to talk...

All his efforts were in vain...

A short silence, the young lion-man cleared his throat. "I guess there isn't any secrets to keep, huh? If we get out of here…" He holds his fiancée's hand. He eyed directly at her, "…we're going to get married."

"Really?" Stephanie cried with hands clasping together. This could be the only time she gets her mind off from the bodies around her. She really wants to hear bright sides from dark times. "That's wonderful. Congratulations!"

Reasons like this is how Kent Wide fell for Stephanie when they started dating last semester. Though, quite the feisty one, but an interesting ideal girl. Kent befriended Jett when he joined the soccer club. Like impulsive teenagers of his age, was almost like love at first sight until he saw her characteristics that thrived him further to fall in love with her. Jett, as the older brother, kept a sharp eye on him most of the time. But gave up after an argument with his sister. It was one of those cases of "dating my brother's friends". During their relationship, Sylvester Rycroft came back home from retirement and wanted to spend the time with wife and children and planned this Hawaiian cruise, Carolyn offered an invitation for Kent Wide, but the Wide family has their own plans for the holidays at the Bahamas.

With Rycroft soon learning that Stephanie is dating someone without knowing the moment he came back to Miami. Like every fathers' nightmares of letting go their daughters unlike their sons, he just doesn't know who's this Kent character is and is he a fine boy who can take care of her while taking her out on a date like in the movies or taking on place that she doesn't know about and could cause some trouble and doesn't want to get on bad influences on her. Carolyn clarifies him during the early days of the cruise as she's the one who openly allowed the boy to date Stephanie to begin with.

With curiosity on Sylvester, he scoots closer on his daughter. "Stephanie…"

"What is it, Dad?"

"About this relationship with you and Kent."

"Not this again, Dad."

"Please, let me speak. Look, I know that I haven't been around to see you grow up until high school, and all I see is time moving so fast. Same for Jett, too."

"I know you care for us." Stephanie shyly looked away from his father's glowing eyes. "Now I met someone who cares for me."

"I…" Sylvester wants one vital detail to feel at ease of this vague relationship of his daughter involved. "Well, I see you got what you wanted, but you know not all first relationships are like…you know…fairytales. It's not always perfect and if he leaves you, I know could be, um, painful, but you'll be fine soon. And…I know teenagers these days are more diverse in their choice of dating and if that's the case, I'll just be okay with it, and as long…"

"Dad." Stephanie interrupted.

"Yes?"

"I'm dating a rare white tiger. Is this what you were concerned?" The idea of Stephanie dating a different specie was a bit concerning for Sylvester, however, now hearing that her case is with a same specie, there is still father's biggest fear; their young daughter getting an unplanned expectation at a young age.

"Really? Well, nothing then. But…"

Stephanie knows about the infamous "The Talk", but he indirectly talks about life advice of relationships. Stephanie cuts in. "You know, Dad, I always wanted to feel how is like to be in love, and this is the best feeling with Kent around." The young tigress paused and looked at him. "I just realized that I'm glad he wasn't on this trip, he could have died!" His father hugged her in comfort. Soothing her as she emotionally sobs.

"I'm sorry…I understand."

"I love him, and I want to see him." She muffled her falling voice.

While the father and daughter converse, Jett awkwardly took the spot light. "So…uh, might as well say something…" the others glanced at him, "Me and my folks are on this cruise 'cause my Dad came back from the Navy and celebrate like family. And…I suppose some of you have seen me on television or social media on stage. But I'm now retired after some complications with the band."

"Complication with the band, how cliché." Portia quietly muttered her voice.

Jett grunted under his breath. "You know, I'm wondering what you wrote in that article?"

"I should be asking that, too." Miss Quinlivan turned at Portia.

"Don't bother, guys. Malcolm fixed it before I could have noticed." She remarked.

"What did you have in mind?" She said.

"Yeah, I remembered what your friend said; 'Are you trying to trash their careers?'" Jett said. "What the fuck were you trying to do?"

"Jett!" His mother scolds.

"Speculations, I think you both were lying."

"Why would I be lying to an accident!?"

"I thought you got what you wanted with the interview, you weren't satisfied with our thoughts?" Aubrey said.

"If you both don't want an interview, to begin with, I wouldn't have done it." Portia said.

"You asked for one! You came to my room in front my parents and begged."

"Sorry, you're right." Portia said and quieted before resuming. "If you didn't say the truth about Bradley Roar's real reason why he left the band, and instead of hiring a new replacement, your career would have succeeded. My theory, you and your bandmates are better off without him and writing him off was the solution, but no, you and your mates refused and unplug the game."

"Are you accusing me and everyone against him? Haven't I told you everything? Bradley couldn't take all the pressure and when his father was ill, he has gotten worse than ever. I'm the only one that made the mistake, I couldn't control it, he ran away, and I couldn't stop him on time. All an accident!"

"And that's my conclusion as expected that you pushed him and…" Portia explains but…

"PUSHED HIM!?" Jett screamed. Clover gasped at the woman's words. The tiger-boy stands up and glare at her with fury with balled fist ready. "You're sick, lady!" Portia got taken aback the young beast boy.

Clover stepped in, "I heard rumors, but this one has gotten too far!"

"Would you calm down, Jett! Like I said, Malcolm had snuck in before I would have sent it to the editors before all of this happened." Her last part of her sentence was gestured all the surroundings of the capsized ship.

Jett, still angry at her for unwanted bad reputation of lies, his parents behind him are prepared if he made one move on her that could result in physical injuries. But he grunted in anger and calms down at the mentioned close call. But he wasn't finished.

"Do me favor." He started. Portia puzzled. "Your friend, Malcolm, is dead, and if you do survive, I hope you have a good idea how to take responsibility when his family are asking you questions that you're unlikely to answer. They will be mourning him and you, the closest person to ever be with, is like a final piece of the puzzle. I hope Malcolm's death wasn't in vain."

"You…" Portia was lost in her thoughts; the future was there very clearly once she's out of the tub. "How dare you!"

"You've been a pain in the ass when you came with us! And now, I'll make your life in pain, I hope you got an idea to make up Malcolm's family and live with your life after this."

His mother behind with hand on shoulder, "Jett, I think you have your point. Please, sit down."

Jett obeyed his mother but gave one more glance at her with a cold shoulder at her. "Don't forget." Jett stated her to remind.

The mood was killed but survivors make up their own business. Lani, whom had been comforting Jennings for a while, asked. "Have the officer came back?" She meant Snowdon, but she yet gotten to know everyone's names.

Sylvester said, "No, not yet."

"You should check on them, Sylvester." Carolyn said.

"You know I wouldn't break orders from others." He remarked.

"My dad is with him." Gwen said. "They're still checking the way out."

"Or leaving us to drown." Portia muttered.

"Anti-optimistic much?" Rico said.

"They could be hurt, and they need our help." Aubrey said.

"Maybe, but they should be shouting in this cave." Ryder said. He decided a go for it. With one hand held cupping his muzzle. "Snowdon! Kershaw!" It echoed but wasn't a long lagged one. The sound absorbed instantly. Three faints ones were picked.

Not long, a clear whistle responded. Gwen was quick to identify it. "That was Dad."

"Huh, I was expecting a roar or a snarl." Ryder said.

"My dad cannot roar like he used to." She stated.

A while later, the polar bear and the lion made back to the group as their figures reflect the light fixtures under them. The two doesn't show any signs to what they have been up to. Snowdon still in his black jacket uniform for the gala unbuttoned and Kershaw had already taken off a while ago since the ballroom. Sylvester meets up to them to hear any news. "How is it?"

The two beast-men were…

…quiet.

They were disappointed. "Well?" Sylvester demanded.

Snowdon responded, "It's blocked…"

"What? But how!?" The tiger couldn't believe it.

Kershaw added, "There's severe damage and we have checked precisely if we have missed it. Turns out, we aren't even that close to the said hatch."

Almost the whole group stands up to hear the news, they weren't very good. Disbelieved toward the reveal of their hopeful escape route has shattered in their minds.

"No way!" Ryder said.

"No…" Miss Blake whispered.

"Oh, for real!" Killian spat.

Others just quieted of the news, but Sylvester wants to be sure, "Are you sure? Have you tried to clear the way?"

"We did everything to clear away, but it's twisted steel tangled up every where." Snowdon said. "This ship suffered extreme damage after capsizing."

Sylvester sighted. "So, what are we gonna do? Is there an alternative?"

"We got to find a way around to the bow than here."

"Another hatch or an upward stair to the engine room or some place else for a different route that could lead back to the bow should do." Said Kershaw.

"The deck plan shows other ways than from here." Said Snowdon as he walks to the same plate on the wall. Tracing his fingers through the long corridor all the way to the back and stopped. "Here. We should go to the stern. There's another hatch that leads to the main engine room. We go there and journey through the corridors ahead and get to the bow engine room."

"In other words, we must go climb to another deck and cross over." Kershaw said.

"Guess plan B is now in our side." Sylvester ended.

Snowdon turns at the group. "Alright, group, we got different change of plan. We move through the corridors at near the stern, the back of the ship, and look for another way to the next deck above…"

Portia snapped. "I've heard what you'd said! You think that's easy for a crew member, but I'm a passenger and this has gotten too–" Her speech was interrupted when Aubrey grabbed her arm and shoved her away from Snowdon and the rest of the group, she scolds her like no mother could ever give to her children as ultimatum.

"Listen, Portia, we're tired of your negative attitude! Nagging and whining is your solution to all your problems, but not for us! If you can find your way out of this tub, then do it! Do it yourself!"

"Miss Quinlivan, that's enough." Said Miss Blake. She moved between the two and break any possible physical harm.

"Let go of me!" Portia said and shake her grasp off.

What brought Aubrey to the edge was her thoughts about the manipulated post-interview she revealed when facing against Jett. What she had formerly added in that article before Malcolm Robertson fixed it before sending to chief editor? Jett's alternated version was grossly, ambiguously extreme as to be considered homicide and attempt murder. While Aubrey only talked about her tough times without a husband and taking care of her young children in London and pursuing her singing career to reach to the top and make herself a secured position of her new-found voice is considered a healthy dose for herself and her children. What else is there for an anticipation of her ordeal to where she is? Her husband left her and took the money. Without saying anything after the poorly handled divorce; nine months later she gave twins. She went back to live with her mother and continued working at the Royal Albert Hall in London as a ballet dancer. Soon her voice was noticed among the staff. Taking advantage to show her talent in the next season of "Britain's Got Talent" she received praise from the crowd and the judges.

She won second place when she appeared in "Britain Idol", defeated by an Irish singer. It didn't take too long when she found an open position to work on a ship that routinely sail on traditional crossings on the North Atlantic aboard the _Triton_. Somewhere small but making herself a recognizable face from many who have seen her on stage. With changes and then a big transfer when the cruise line wanted her to work on the _Poseidon_ this December until New Year's Eve. Three days before the ship had arrived at Long Beach, her mother called, and her ex-husband was on the line.

Her answer was clear for the man who had left her for her inheritance. She gladly response, "I'm glad you left me." She worked all the way to where she is and cannot let one nasty ass come back and take advantage of her. It was greed that brought a lot of damage and cannot let it take away her earnings.

So, then, if Portia had talked her late husband then a sick rumor could harm her innocent reputation. If she knew or talked to him, is unknown. But this blonde woman is taking merciless motives against these two celebrities with no sense of anticipation and fact in her hands.

Portia continued, "If you think you can interrogate me, then I got nothing else to say to you! It's all over. I cannot think of anything to get out of this boat!"

Snowdon resumed. "Let's move, group. There's no time to waste."

The whole party stood up, and with their slow pace, carefully walk through the long corridor with bodies lying around.

Lani helps Jennings up. "Can you go on, Sid?" The man nodded. Still affected but cannot pull the group behind.

From all the climbing and keeping the only direction toward the bow, now they're walking away from their original path where the forward engine room is. It's disappointing that their plans are not coming to fruition. If plan B works, looking another way to get the next level and head directly to the bow, they would be running to kiss the ocean and go home.

The lights on the new floor flickers again. It didn't light up back.

Young girls' voices screech at the sudden shut down.

"The lights!" Rico shouted. His eyes stretch to adapt the darkness, he can feel the pupils growing wide.

The beast-men saw this, but their eye sights quickly settle into the dark.

"Don't move!" Sylvester shouted.

But false alarm, the lights came back on. The sigh of relief broke out the humans' breath.

"The emergency back up power is keeping it up." Snowdon said. "We'll be fine for the time being."

"How can the ship still preserve some power left after tipping over?" Zoey said.

"It could last long enough for maybe five or six hours." Snowdon replied.

"We need flashlights for the ones we cannot see the dark." Kale said.

"He's right, we need some supplies if we want to get out of here." Ryder said.

"The firefighting facility should be at the stern, we can find all the supplies what we need there." Snowdon said.

Their marching resumes and their walking pace are rather slow. Making careful steps on whatever is on the current floor. With Snowdon and Kershaw on the tail of the group, they noticed they have stopped.

"Why we're stopping?" Snowdon asked.

Sylvester, who was ahead, said. "It's blocked here, too."

"What?" The bear-man and lion-man made their way through the fellows on their way and face the similar blockade.

A pile of destroyed and burnt debris covers every corner with no little gaping hole to crawl through. It mostly contains steel and aluminum structures all smashed with force and contents of what could make up a piece of an engine machinery.

"Oh, no…" Megan the cheetah whispered.

"This cannot be!" Carolyn said.

"Don't tell us we're trapped." Ryder said.

"No! We have come all this way." Lani cried.

The group were back again disappointed. With questions regarding another way around or questioning on the first officer's thinking. Snowdon couldn't think of anything, given how unpredictable the ship is at this state.

"You don't have a clue, do you?" Portia spat.

Some look at the white bear and others feeling in defeat. With heavy tension on their shoulders on what to do next and figure out to get through this trap-like corridor. They are all caged in here.


End file.
